By Mark Vester
According to promoter Lou DiBella, there is a chance that Jermain Taylor will face former Olympic teammater Jeff Lacy in the fall with the vacant WBO super middleweight title at stake. Recently the WBC called for a bout between Taylor and Carl Froch for their vacant title, but that fight depends on whether or not Lacy is able to get by his July 23 tuneup with Epifanio Mendoza. If Lacy wins without and suffers no injury, he will likely face Taylor on a November date reserved by HBO. If that happens, Froch would have to face Jean Pascal with the WBC title at stake. A purse bid for Taylor-Froch has been set for July 25 by the WBC, two days after the Lacy-Mendoza fight.
"If Lacy were to get [beaten by Mendoza] on June 23 I imagine a lot of US TV money would free up and we might be able to make the fight," DiBella told Steve Bunce's Boxing Hour. "I'd still have two days to get on a plane to see Jose (Sulaiman, WBC chief). If we went ahead and fought Lacy. Froch will probably meet Jean Pascal from Canada and the winner of that fight will be seen as a more major contender from American television and there would be more money on the table for a Jermain Taylor fight for the winner.
"The other thing is Calzaghe is going to get stripped of his WBO also and that title will be vacant. It is not an issue of us not believing we can beat Froch it's an issue of money. I take the same position with every fighter I have, the belts are nice to have but you get the belts to get the money. If the money is greater not fighting for that belt you do what you have to do to make the money."
DiBella says that HBO is not willing to put up enough money for a Taylor-Froch encouter, but are willing to pay much more for Taylor-Lacy.
"When you are the bank you have a lot of power. Their attitude with respect to Carl is who the Froch is Froch? I love Mick but he should have gotten him to the US sooner. You look at Hatton he had to take some fights where the money was okay, it was pretty good at the beginning, but he had to fight on American tv to get some exposure.
"The only exposure he has on US TV was on ShowBox which frankly nobody watches and it wasn't his best night, it was one of his worst nights. The perception on this side of the pond is not that Froch is the fighter you know he is on that side of the pond. I know it's a more testing fight than Jeff Lacy, but I can't fight the bank and I can't fight the powers that be in the US."
Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingscene@hotmail.com
