By Mark Vester

It appears the recent retirement announcement by former champion Jeff Lacy was caused by a dispute with his promotional company, Golden Boy Promotions. He said the money that was offered for the bout with Jermain Taylor, for November 15 on HBO, was an insult. Lacy told the Tampa Tribune that he was offered $500,000 to fight Taylor. After he faced Epifanio Mendoza on Wednesday and almost got knocked out on route to winning a majority decision, the money was only raised to $550,000, an amount far less than what Lacy had expected.

"What do I look like fighting a fight of that caliber for $550,000 when I have more to risk than anything," Lacy asked. "I feel like Taylor needs me more than I need him and what do I look like fighting that fight for $550,000 and risking my life in there like I did Wednesday night because the referee is not on top of this guy hitting me in the back of the head."

Jim Wilkes, the advisor for Lacy, says the fighter was upset over the fact that Golden Boy had made a deal with Taylor's promoter Lou DiBella on Wednesday afternoon without Lacy's approval or consent to the monetary figures each fighter would receive.

While he wouldn't confirm that Lacy would never return to the ring, Wilkes did tell the St. Petersburg Times that Lacy was being disrespected and deserved more in the fight.

"Jeff is a former Olympian, a world champion, who has lost one fight," Wilkes said. "But he has to take opponent's money against a guy who has lost his last two fights and hasn't looked good since before Bernard Hopkins?"

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