Lacy delayed Calzaghe fight

Story taken from - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/4234992.stm Calzaghe's dream fight in danger Joe Calzaghe's dream of a unification fight against Jeff Lacy hangs in the balance after the WBO champion broke his left hand against Evans Ashira. The Welshman was unable to use his left from the fourth round onwards in Cardiff on Saturday, but was still too good for his Kenyan opponent. Calzaghe's worst fears were confirmed on Sunday when an X-ray revealed he had broken a metacarpal bone. The 33-year-old will be in plaster for a month and out of the ring until 2006. The Ashira fight, Calzaghe's 17th defence of his WBO super middleweight title, was supposed to have been a tune-up for a 5 November clash against the IBF champion Lacy. Lacy's promoter Gary Shaw, who had criticised Calzaghe for taking the fight against Ashira in the first place, said: "Tell Frank Warren that he and Joe Calzaghe don't rule the 12-stone division any more. "If (Warren) is actually serious about February then he should bring Calzaghe to the United States because that is the only way he will ever see Jeff Lacy again. "I have absolutely no interest in wasting my time with Joe Calzaghe anymore," Shaw told www.secondsout.com. But an angry Warren insisted Calzaghe had every right to fight Ashira with Lacy having delayed the fight in the first place by insisting on his own warm-up against Manchester's Robin Reid last month. Warren refuted suggestions that Calzaghe's match last night was a gamble which was always likely to backfire given his fighter's propensity for hand injuries. Warren said: "We wanted to make the Lacy fight early but they insisted he wasn't ready and he would fight Reid first. "Joe could not afford to sit and wait, he needed some rounds and what happened is just unfortunate - no-one is more frustrated than Joe. "Gary Shaw and Jeff Lacy are off their heads if they think Lacy is number one in the division right now. "Joe is the longest reigning of all the world champions and if Jeff Lacy still wants the fight in February then it will be on the terms we have previously agreed." The two promoters' deteriorating relationship puts even a new year meeting in doubt, irrespective of Calzaghe's latest injury problem. Calzaghe said: "I was catching him for two or three rounds with uppercuts before I felt my hand start to go. "It's probably the worst I've ever done it and it is even worse than the Reid fight for pain. "It's frustrating because I wanted to make a statement and I am sure I would have knocked him out by the fifth round. "I still think the Lacy fight will happen because we are the best two super-middleweights in the world and Lacy has nowhere else to go. "But I have no regrets about taking this fight because at the end of the day I needed to fight so why should I just wait for him?" Saturday's fight was particularly frustrating for Calzaghe as it marked his return to terrestrial television. The Welsh star had been hoping for a convincing knockout victory but was forced to use all his boxing know-how and superior jab after hurting his hand. Calzaghe should be applauded for pulling it off - he won every round despite his handicap - but he may be left to rue the long-term consequences of the fight.

Comments (20)

33, 32, it doesnt matter, he is gonna get his ass whipped. becos he has made a career out of beating up bums or washed up former champions and now that hes washed up himself he has no hope of beating the fresh Lacy apart from maybe a punchers chance

20y ago

JUYJUY

and at 33 Joe is 32.

20y ago

Super_Lightweight

hmm That's actually the exact opposite to what happened... Joe wanted to fight RJJ at 175lbs and RJJ asked for $10,000,000 - No one could raise $10,000,000. That's why the fight wasn't made. I bet. :rolleyes:

20y ago

Super_Lightweight

It's up to you if you don't wish to take my advice, re: "I'll give you some advice... Give examples and reasons behind your way of thought and show facts, you will find that more of the intelligent boxing fans will have a proper discussion with you, and hey... You will learn loads!" So I guess because you say it's a fact then it must be a fact and if anyone disagrees then they're a tool and they don't know nuthin' about boxing, blah, blah, blah... You are far from the advice czar. Think about this one, genious. If you are a tool, why would I take advice from you? I have plenty of intelligent convos on here with ppl not named Martin. A fact isn't a fact because I say it is. Don't be silly. Surely you are smarter than that. A fact is a fact because it is inherently a fact. Nothing more simple than that. Neither Calzaghe's or Hopkins resumes are even close to guys like Morales or Barrera... But then again, neither Calzaghe or Hopkins are as good as guys like Morales and Barrera. Their resume's are not quite as good, I agree, but you are flat-out wrong to say they aren't as good, especially in Hopkins' case. Hopkins' skills are apparent in the ring. Prime for prime, he would never lose p4p to MAB or Erik. If you don't know that, you know hardly anything. Zahir Raheem outboxed Morales of all people and a one-dimensional brawler in Pac slaughtered MAB and won 4-5 rounds off of Morales. If you think those guys are the better fighter than Hopkins, I want some of what you're smoking.

20y ago

JUYJUY

Jones wanted to fight Eubank if Eubank won the WBO Cruiserweight title, and he said he'd only fight Collins if Collins either beat Calzaghe for the WBO Super-Middle title or Collins beat Eubank for the WBO Cruiserweight title. Then a few years later there was talk of Jones fighting for Joe's WBO Super-Middle title - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/wales/1305307.stm

20y ago

Moschino045

RJJ said he was willing to make 168 for calzaghe to fight calzaghe in calzaghes backyard and when RJJ said that suddenly calzaghe started panicking! so calzaghe overpriced himself to weasel out of the fight, RJJ called his bluff. and thats the truth of the matter, calzaghe knew that he would of suffered a humiliating defeat in front of a huge home crowd with everything in his favor, he would of been humiliated by RJJ.

20y ago

Moschino045

Lacy rapes calzaghe. calzaghe is over rated like fuck, who has beat? brewer and Mitchell arent very good anyway, and they werent even good anymore becos they had already lost their titles. Woodhall wasnt at his best any more, rob reid wasnt at his best any more, (Woodhall and Reid werent exactly worldbeaters anyway) Eubank certainly wasnt at his best any more, so who the fuck has he beat? his opposition apart from the four or five washed up former world champions has been absolutely shite, he is not even fighting number one contenders. the guy sucks and at 33 will be handed a beatdown by the first young, prime, current champion he ever faced

20y ago

jayschre

He lost to Roy Jones, Glen Johnson has never been world-class, and Howard Eastman isn't as good as Richie Woodhall. What about Brewer and Mitchell? All the American's were saying that they'd KTFO Calzaghe, it didn't happen. Please stop talking like Brewer and Mitchell were worth a fuck, neither one of them should be considered quality "career defining" opponents. Seriously would any other fighters that have held titles as long as Joe get away with having the audacity of saying that one of their greatest victories was against a guy that got ko'ed by Lolenga Mock in 10 rds?

20y ago

The_Troll

I got a whole bunch of Calzaghe fights on file that I have not gotten around to watching yet. I think I will watch those fights before picking a winner in thsi apparent "fantasy" matchup. Lacy is good because his stamina is amazing and he has good power, in some ways other than defence, he kinda like a 168 pound version of Joe Frazier, but his heart has yet to have been really tested, and one of the main things that define Joe Frazier is his heart. But even Lacy's nickname "left hook," Frazier's Marquis punch.

20y ago

Floydmayweather

Lacy will own Calzaghe. Ko in 8 ;)

20y ago

RoyJonesJrp4pno1

We can agrue all day about who has the better resume, but one things for certain, Bernard Hopkins bitched out of the Joe Calzaghe fight. Frank Warren speaking about the break down of he Calzaghe vs Hopkins match up. "We had an agreement for the Hopkins fight to happen," said Warren. "I had discussed terms with Don King, who looks after Hopkins, and I had American TV with Showtime. I would have paid Hopkins £3 million($5.5m), but suddenly he said he wouldn't take the fight unless he was paid £6m($11m)" Frank Warren isn't a reliable source. :rolleyes: Now that Calzaghe is his only champion because Hatton left him he won't let Calzaghe go near any breathing opponent.

20y ago

RoyJonesJrp4pno1

- Eubank had just put in a great performance against Benn on ProBox while Jackson had just made a lot of noise with his one punch KO of Graham on ProBox. Jackson ducked Eubank for six months, claiming he had eye problems. So when Somebody avoids Eubank with an injury it is ducking yet when Calzaghe gets injured in a fight that should never have happened and he even predicted before the fight, all you do is defend him.

20y ago

RoyJonesJrp4pno1

I'm a fan, but I'm a realist. It sounds like they're pussing out. It's a legit injury. I'd say the same thing if Mayweather broke one of his brittle hands, and then he was accused of ducking because of it. Mayweather doesn't take tune ups against bums 2 Months before fighting guys like Castillo and Corrales though does he now and he doesn't say that he is going to get injured before fights as well. Never compare a disgraceful ducker to one of the sports greatest ever fighters again man.

20y ago

RoyJonesJrp4pno1

At the end of the day, it's not Joe's fault that Hopkins and Jones Jr were too scared to fight him. Both Hopkins and Jones Jr claimed that they were willing to travel to the Millenium Stadium to fight for Joe's super-middleweight title in super-fights, but deep down both knew that they had no intention of taking the fight unless they were offered ridiculous money to make up for the fact that they probably were going to lose. It's similar to when Toney fucking Rejected a 60/40 purse share IN HIS FAVOR to fight the winner of Benn-Eubank II, fucking pisses me off. When did they duck Calzaghe. Calzaghe has never even ought at 175 so how has Roy ducked Calzaghe. Calzaghe is scared of Jeff Lacy yet he is willing to fight Roy Jones. You really are a dumbass.

20y ago

TheEvilSaint

No version of Barrera beats Prime Hamed (Prime Hamed was 94/95/96/first half of 97). You only have to watch the documentary 'the Little Prince - the Big Fight' to see that Hamed wasn't preparing right at all for Barrera and was more focused on his hair and stuff than doing any training. shows just how much of a joke he was, dealing with his hair rather than a dangerous opponent.

20y ago

JUYJUY

Barrera doesn't beat Prime Naz (Naz Prime was 94/95/96/first half of 97), no version of Barrera beats Prime Hamed. You only have to watch the documentary 'the Little Prince - the Big Fight' to see that Hamed wasn't preparing right at all for Barrera and was more focused on his hair and stuff than doing any training.

20y ago

RoyJonesJrp4pno1

I think I owe Joe an apology, I had thought that he was all washed-up but he won me over last night. I can't see Lacy beating even an 80% Calzaghe, he's too limited for Joe. Joe looked fantastic last night for four rounds and then the way he kept Ashira off so easily with the right jab, right hooks and ring smarts for eight rounds I thought was actually real impressive! He even had the nerve to frequently drop his gloves below his knees and stick his chin out on a platter for Ashira who could barely lay a glove on him all night. I really had thought that Calzaghe was finished, but after seeing him last night I saw that he still has some. You owe him apology, did you call him a warrior or something and want to apologise for giving him too much credit. Calzaghe said he was going to get injured in this fight and he did.

20y ago

JUYJUY

You can't blame Hopkins for not taking the fight though, because it's difficult to see how he'd of got through the fight without being beaten up.

20y ago

_Evil_

20y ago

BLOODSHED

damn anorak whats up with your sig? did exig tell you to put that therE?

20y ago