Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy To Return July 23rd?

25.06.08 – by James Slater: In what will be his first fight this year, former IBF super-middleweight champion Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy, according to BoxRec, is set to fight again this July 23rd in California. Facing Colombia’s 32-year-old Epifanio Mendoza, Lacy’s ten round super-middleweight clash will go out on ESPN2..

Mendoza, a light-heavyweight these days, was last seen challenging unsuccessfully for Chad Dawson’s WBC 175 pound world title. Stopped in the 4th round last September, Mendoza’s record fell to a still more than reasonable 28-5-1(24). A tall guy at 6’1,” the fighter known as “Diamante” has only been stopped twice in a career that began back in November of 1999. Without question, Dawson is the best fighter the 32-year-old has ever faced, however he has a few good wins on his record also. Back in June of 2003, for example, Mendoza stopped the then undefeated Rubin Williams in one round to win the NABA middleweight belt.

It’s not clear what Mendoza has left today, boxing up at light-heavyweight – but if he’s still got something to offer he just may make things quite tough for the returning Lacy. Lacy, of course, was a world champion and he was considered a future superstar at the time. Subsequently losing badly to Joe Calzaghe in March of 2006 and only boxing twice since – in less than convincing fashion – a number of people apparently feel “Left Hook” is a spent force.
After suffering a shoulder injury in his points win over Vitali Tsypko in his first fight back after Calzaghe shut him out over twelve rounds, Lacy won a decision over Contender star Peter Manfredo Jr on the under-card of the huge Mayweather-Hatton bill. Here again Lacy struggled. Now set to face the much taller Mendoza (Jeff stands at just 5’10”) after having been absent for over seven months, the 31-year-old has it all to do.

Should he put on an impressive performance against the Colombian – who will be having his first fight in almost a year himself – Lacy will likely put himself back in the frame for some future big fights. Another struggle, however, and the cries of him being a finished fighter will continue.

“Left Hook” hasn’t picked an overly easy opponent for his latest bout, and I see the man from St. Petersburg having to once again go the full route to get a win. Look for Lacy to gut out another close decision on July 23rd.