By Jack Welsh

LACY’s TNT TOO MUCH FOR SHEIKA

Jeff Lacy’s heavy right hand, plus a worthy chin, doubled as his road game in an action storm with rugged Omar Sheika to retain his IBF super middleweight crown Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

It was only his18th start as a pro since the 2000 Olympics in Sydney but the unbeaten Lacy remained firm in scoring a unanimous 12-round decision against a Paterson, N.J., challenger who hung tough to the final bell.

There was a marked contrast in the judges’ scoring when Chuck Giampa and Steve Epstein both had it 115-113 for Lacy while Adelaide Byrd had it 117-111 for the 27-year-old champion from Tampa, Fla.

The decision was up for grabs going into the ninth round but barring a knockout, Lacy’s defense was safe when Byrd and Epstein each awarded his superior power in the ninth, tenth, 11th and12th rounds. It was academic when Giampa only gave Sheika the last two rounds.

Lacy, earning $157,000 while lifting his resume to 18-0,14 KOs, wasn’t upset he didn’t win inside the distance.It was his first risking since being the first U.S, Olympian to win a pro title when he TKO’d Syd Vanderpool Oct .2 in eight rounds at Caesars Palace.

“It was a good because I had a guy in Sheika who came to fight.When you are in with someone just trying to survive, it makes for a bad night,” Lacy advised.

“The last couple of times people saw me beat the best. I did what I needed to do against Sheika to win but I didn’t think the fight was close. I’ve won a lot of fights with my left hooks but this time it was a little different. I’d set them up for the hook and then come rocking with my right. This Sheika is a tough guy who takes a big punch and has good power”

Sheika, 27,.in his third bid for a world title, saw his tally dip to 26-7,17 KOs but wasn’t enhanced on the decision after losing to WBO champ Joe Calzaghe in 2000 and WBC king Eric Lucas in 2002, both at 167. Sheika, two pounds lighter for Lacy at 166, earned $35,000.

Sheika’s best defense almost became an offense when he was able to slow Lacy with repeated clinches, particularly in the early rounds.

Sheika admitted he couldn’t believe “some of the judges’ margins of scoring.”

“I definitely felt I did enough to win. but I’ll admit it was a close fight. I know it was a lot closer than any of the judges had it. I felt I was much busier and much quicker with the jab. Sometimes Lacy was just throwing one shot at a time.”

Sheika has a reputation for liking an adversary who presses the issue early. and he caught Lacy with one of the biggest rights he would throw all night in the second round. Earlier, the Jerseyite scored with a five-punch salvo to the head but the overhand solo right snapped Lacy’s head and buckled his knees.

However, the champion reached deep for several patented rights to the jaw that discouraged Sheika for the moment.

Hesitation often cost Sheika’s intent to fight inside but it was a target where he did some of his best countering when he was quicker than Lacy, who was never far away with that right cocked.

Just after the half-way mark going into the seventh round, it was accurate warfare on both sides. First, it was Lacy raking the eastern import with seven-punches of his versatile offense before an erect Sheika rallied with six shots to the head before the bell.

Despite the close scoring of Giampa and Epstein after the final bell, the last round Sheika would win on all judges’ scorecards was the eighth.

Neither Lacy nor Sheika asked no quarter, and in the sport’s parlance, they gave as good as they got.

The verdict would be out of reach of Sheika when the official tabs of Byrd and Epstein had Lacy sweeping the ninth through the12th rounds. Giampa had given the final two rounds to Sheika.


CASTILLO RALLIES, KEEPS WBC TITLE

Jose Luis Castillo, reaching deep into his bag of surprises, simply out-hustled former two-time world champion Joel Casamayor in the final three rounds to retain his WBC lightweight crown on a 12-round split decision in the co-feature Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay.

Castillo,134.5, Mexicali, Mx., was making a big comeback in this first defense of a title he won for the second time June 5 in Las Vegas from Juan Lazcano over 12 rounds.

Castillo, improving to 51-6-1, 45 KOs, turned in a slow-starting effort that impressed judges Dave Moretti’s tab at 117-111 and Dr. James Jen Kin’s at116-112. Judge Carol Castellano favored Casamayor at 115-113 with the latter’s log dipping to 31-3, 19 KOs.

The highly-regarded Mexican talent originally won the championship June 17, 2000 from Steve Johnston on a 12-round decision in Bell Gardens, Ca.

After fighting a draw with Johnson three months later, Castillo defended against Cesar Bazan and Sungho Huh in 2001.

A protege of legendary Julio Cesar Chavez, the well-schooled Castillo proved he ranks with the world’s great 135-pounders, fighting Floyd Mayweather, Jr., twice in 2002, both going12 rounds in Las Vegas.

Castillo lost the title Apr. 20 but had nothing to be ashamed of with scores of 115-111 (twice) and 116-111.The incumbent lost a point in the 10th round for using his elbows.

There were rumors Castillo got jobbed in the first bout. Top Rank didn’t buy it but ordered a rematch in the Valley of the Dollars for Dec.7, 2002. Floyd, Jr., repeated the earlier win with closer scores 115-113 (twice) and 116-111.

Castillo wasn’t as quick out of the gate with Casamayor as he was with
Mayweather. The former WBA super featherweight ruler, based in Miami, Fla., used his superior speed to keep Castillo on the move and on the alert for the slick southpaw’s right jab.

Casamayor won the first two rounds on all three cards but judges gave the third and fourth heats to Castillo.

Castillo admitted he trailed in the early rounds but began to take charge in the late middle rounds when he nullified Casamayor’s effort to fight effectively off the ropes.

In each successive round, the WBC champion’s pressure had the 1992 Olympic Gold medalist struggling with his punching rhythm.

There were no knockdowns in the heated stretch run but both fighters had their moments. Although always dangerous with his punching power, Casamayor didn’t win a round after the ninth on all three cards of the judges. It was Castillo’s night and he knew it.

“With Casamayor, you always know he is going to be a difficult opponent. But I’d say around the eighth or ninth round, I felt like I was in control. It was my fight. I said going in, this fight will be determined by heart and courage. Well, I think I showed the kind of heart it takes to beat a fighter like a Casamayor. He’s a great boxer. But, in the eighth round, I got him with a body shot and from them on, he didn’t move that much. From early on, I was trying to slow down his speed”. Castillo reflected.

“This could be a big year. Kostya Tszyu is out there. Maybe Jay Larkin at Showtime or some people who thought Mexican fighters couldn’t cope with American fighters have been shown they can cope with them. In the eighth round, Casamayor hit me after the bell and I wouldn’t let anybody do that to me. If it can happen, I’d like to fight WBO lightweight champion Diego “Chico” Corrales in May.”

Casamayor has now lost three fights on split decisions, prompting his manager, Bob de Cubas, to declare “Joel is the only fighter in the world who can say he is undefeated. And I thought he did a good job with Roberto Duran, who was filling in for trainer ‘Buddy’ McGirt.

Casamayor felt he “won10 of 12 rounds and I’d like to have a rematch or with Erik Morales if possible. I worked very hard for three months for this fight, so maybe Bob Arum will give us some kind of rematch.

AFRICAN HEAVYWEIGHT PRETENDER

When Samuel Peter faced Jeremy Williams Saturday night in something billed as a 12-rounder for the vacant NABF heavyweight title, it was a gross misnomer at Mandalay Bay.

Peter is from Akwaibom, Nig., 24 in age, and weighing 247 pounds at 6’ 2”. The awesome pretender to boxing’s grand prize is now 21-0, 18 KOs.

The personable Peter has made three appearances in Vegas and unless you saw him go 10-rounds with Charles Shufford, the pro’s pro, in May, forget about the other three rounds.

Williams, out of San Pedro, Cal., is by far the most experienced pro this rookie has faced with a resume of 41-4-1, 36 K0s. Weight: 226.

The 32-year-old journeyman gave Peter a lot of movement in round one but the African caught him in a corner with two solid rights.

It would be the last time Jeremy would walk back to his stool this night.

It was 27 seconds into the second round when Peter landed a left hook and then hammered Williams with a chopping right. Williams dropped like an anvil, landing on his back. All the movement was ring officials trying to revive the fighter.

When a media release finally hit ringside, Williams had declared. “I didn’t see the punch coming. I trained hard for this fight, so I feel a little better now.

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas and a regular contributor to Ringsports.com and other national sports magazines)