Lacy's camp angered as Calzaghe injures himself in unneccesary fight

Shaw to Calzaghe: "Get your passport ready!" September 10, 2005 By Flattop "They never planned on fighting Jeff Lacy," stated promoter Gary Shaw upon hearing from FightNews that the highly anticipated November 5th showdown between IBF champion Lacy and the longtime WBO champion Joe Calzaghe would be delayed due to hand injury Calzaghe suffered on Saturday in Cardiff, Wales in the 17th defense of his title. "All Calzahge talked about was about a possible injury he could suffer in this fight (with Ashira). If he wanted to fight Jeff Lacy, he would have fought Jeff Lacy instead of Ashira. The fight (with Ashira) was not a mandatory. Ashira is not even a true super middleweight!" The southpaw Calzaghe injured his left hand so severely battering the head of the 5' 7" Ashira with his trademark left hook that he was forced to rely upon his jab after the fourth round. Frank Warren announced after the fight that the Lacy vs. Calzaghe superfight scheduled for November 5th would be delayed. Calzaghe is scheduled to have his hand x-rayed for broken bones. This was the 17th defense of Calzaghe and most critics thought it would be one of his easiest. Also, most critics – both in the UK and in the U.S. - thought it was a stupid move of Warren and Calzaghe to take such fight with so much at risk, particularly considering the long history of frequent hand and back injuries that Calzaghe suffers before and after fights. Ashira was only recently ranked by the WBO as super middleweight and he has never fought as full-fledged super middleweight before the Calzaghe fight. The career high weight for Ashira - who once held the WBA International middleweight title and lost a bid for the WBA middleweight belt in May 2004 against Maselino Masoe – was 163.5 pounds back in February 2003. "The fans have been cheated, particularly those who have supported Joe Calzaghe," stated an irate Shaw. "There was no reason to take this fight. There was no upside to this fight. Calzaghe wanted a way out and he found it. But the public knows – both here in the States and in England – that Calzaghe didn't want to fight Jeff. Jeff was willing to go to Wales, to London, it didn't make a difference. Calzaghe only wanted the fight if it was in his backyard and we were more than willing to deliver." Shaw continued: "Jeff Lacy is now considered by everyone the 168-pound king. Frank Warren and Joe Calzaghe no longer tell us where and when they want to fight. If they want this fight, they better get their passport ready because now the fight will be in the U.S.A. Just let us know when you are ready, and I will get the date from Showtime, I will get the venue. They don't have to worry about nothing except getting their passports ready. "You will not see Jeff Lacy in England. You will not see Jeff Lacy in Wales. Now they will come to the U.S. and it will be dependent on when Jeff Lacy wants to fight and where we want the fight to happen!" In regards to the Showtime date for Lacy on November 5th, Shaw promised: "We will still fight on November 5th. Everybody had been telling me all along to have a backup plan because Calzaghe was going to fallout. I had too much respect and trust for Frank Warren and Joe Calzaghe to do that but those days are over." For opponents on November 5th: "We will go through the rankings. (Marcus) Byer, maybe (Anthony) Mundine, I haven't thought about it. November 5th will be an optional defense but Jeff is a real champion and he wants to fight real fighters. We won't fight a Evans Ashira. We will fight a true super middleweight who is ranked and who will fight a real fight." It's criminal! That is the trouble with boxing, when a champ like Joe has fought all of these easy fighters but somehow he is considered the best at 168-pounds. I hope that the press and fans will see how Jeff was willing to do whatever it took to unify the 168-pound titles. He was willing to go aboard to England or Wales and he was willing to fight the person everyone said was the best. Well, now we know Calzaghe is not the best. The fans will now recognize Jeff Lacy as the true 168-pound champion." Ironically, Calzaghe did "predict" his injury. Calzaghe wrote in his August 12th, 2005 column for the South Wales Argus: "Lots of things can also happen between now and then (November 5th), not least among them injuries. I have had problems with my hand and back on and off over the years, which is hardly surprising when you have been fighting since the age of nine like I have. My left hand swells up after almost every fight." Shaw concluded with this warning shot Across the Pond: "Get your passport ready Joe because Jeff Lacy will be ready!"