Jeff Lacy – “I’m Retiring!”

Jeff Lacyby James Slater: Jeff Lacy, the former IBF super-middleweight champion, won a tougher than expected ten-round decision over Epifanio Mendoza only this past Wednesday, seemingly setting himself up for a big fight with Jermain Taylor. Yet today, in an article that has appeared in The Tampa Tribune, Lacy has let it be known he intends to retire from boxing altogether.

“I’m retiring,” Lacy is reported to have said with frustration clear in his voice. “There will be no fight between me and Jermain [Taylor]. I’m just retiring, I’m done. This business is dirty. That’s all I have to say. This is a very dirty business. I would advise anyone who has kids not to let them ever fight in this business.”

Lacy’s shocking comments have left his trainer, Roger Bloodworth perplexed, as have they promoter Lou DiBella – who handles former middleweight champion Taylor.

“I don’t know,” said Bloodworth, when asked to comment on why his fighter has decided to call it quits. “I haven’t talked to him. If there has been anything to upset him, he hasn’t told me. I don’t know.”

DiBella, too, is at a loss.

“Put it this way, I’ve heard nothing from anyone in his camp indicating anything other than the fight’s [Vs. Taylor, set for November 15th] happening,” DiBella said. “We have a Nov. 15th date on HBO.”

If Lacy is indeed serious about quitting, it will perhaps not come as quite as big a shock to a good number of Eastside Boxing readers. Only hours after his struggle against Mendoza was over with were there numerous comments left by fans saying Lacy was “done as a top class fighter” and that he should “retire before he gets himself hurt.” It seems the advice of these fans has been adhered to. Then again – as was the case after Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr recently and prematurely announced his retirement – Lacy may decide to fight on after all.

One person who thinks this will be the case is his good friend, former world champion Winky Wright.

“He ain’t done. He’s probably mad, but he ain’t done,” Wright declared. “I know he’s not done.”

Time will tell, but for now we must take the 31-year-old Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy, 24-1(17) at his word. Lacy turned pro in February of 2001, became the IBF 168-pound world champion in October of 2004. Making four successful retentions, Lacy was then badly beaten over 12 rounds by Joe Calzaghe. Many claim Jeff was never the same after the drubbing he took from the Welshman. Perhaps Lacy agrees and this is the reason behind his surprise decision?