A former world super middleweight champion, Jeff Lacy made his name in the boxing world behind his concussive power and trademark left hook; equally powerful Epifanio Mendoza has never taken a backwards step in his nine-year pro career. On Wednesday, July 23 at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California, Lacy’s irresistible force meets Mendoza’s immovable object in a 10 round bout which should leave fight fans on their feet and cheering..
Lacy vs. Mendoza, a 10 round super middleweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions, will air live on ESPN2’s Wednesday Night Fights beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. This bout marks the first ever ESPN2 Wednesday Night Fights card at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa.
Tickets, priced at $35, $75 and $125, go on sale Tuesday, July 1 at 12 p.m. and can be purchased at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa Box Office at (951) 755-5391 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the first bell rings at 5:30 p.m.
“Jeff Lacy has waited a long time to get back in position to regain his title and if he can beat a dangerous opponent like Epifanio Mendoza, he will be one step closer to his goal,” said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “This fight should be one of the best of 2008, but with the power of both guys, I don’t expect it to go the distance.”
“We’re very excited to take part in ESPN2’s Wednesday Night Fights,” said Morongo Casino Resort & Spa general manager, Sean Sullivan. “This is an opportunity to show the nation that Morongo is the home of “BIG TIME” boxing.”
A 2000 United States Olympian, Jeff ‘Left Hook’ Lacy (23-1, 17 KO’s) has been one of boxing’s most consistently exciting performers ever since he turned pro in 2001. A world champion in just his 18th fight after stopping Syd Vanderpool for the IBF World Super Middleweight crown in 2004, Lacy successfully defended his title four times before being outpointed in a 2006 title unification bout against Joe Calzaghe. The St. Petersburg, Florida native returned to the ring nine months later and outpointed Vitali Tsypko, only to have it revealed that he had torn his rotator cuff early in the fight. After surgery and almost a year away, Lacy was back in championship form last December as he scored a ten round unanimous decision win over ‘The Contender’s Peter Manfredo Jr.
“This is going to be my first fight this year and my first time fighting at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa,” said Lacy. “I’m going to make it a good one and I will definitely make the statement that I’m ready for another world title shot.”
Colombia’s Epifanio Mendoza (28-5-1, 24 KOs) fought under the radar in his native country until his 16th fight on October 13, 2002 when he scored a shocking 30 second stoppage of unbeaten and highly touted Tokunbo Olajide. Since then, the 32-year-old has been the one guy you don’t want to see when you look across the ring. Among his victims are Rubin Williams (KO1) and Rito Ruvalcaba (KO8), and though he fell short in a light heavyweight title fight against Chad Dawson last September, Mendoza knows that at 168 pounds, he’ll be hard to beat.
“Jeff Lacy is a former world champion and he’s a good fighter, but I’m hungrier than he is,” said Mendoza. “I need a win in this fight and I won’t stop throwing punches until they raise my hand in victory.”
Undercard bouts will be announced in the near future. For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.morongocasinoresort.com.