Taylor relaxed, Lacy edgy upon Nashville arrival

A relaxed Jermain Taylor is a rare sight pre-fight; hopefully it carries over into the ring.... Nashville feels right to Taylor BY CHRIS GIVENS, ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT GAZETTE NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A casual, relaxed Jermain Taylor leaned back in his chair, put his feet up and looked around the lobby while excitedly remarking that his hotel was full of country stars in town for that night’s CMA Awards. An edgy, irritable Jeff Lacy checked himself out of the same hotel, complaining that it wasn’t to his liking. Two fighters who are at very similar points in their careers gave off very different impressions to the public when they met fans in the lobby of the Hotel Indigo West End on Wednesday evening, Taylor and Lacy’s first face-to-face meeting since finalizing plans to fight each other back in July. The two former world champions will fight each other on Saturday night in a 12-round super middleweight bout that will go a long way toward determining the direction of their respective careers. The fight will be broadcast on regular HBO, not pay-per-view. Taylor (27-2-1, 17 KOs ) is coming off consecutive losses to Kelly Pavlik, the first of which stripped the Little Rock native of his middleweight titles. Lacy (24-1, 17 KOs ) has not had a solid performance since a convincing loss to Joe Calzaghe and is one loss away from being written off as a legitimate contender in boxing circles. In the hotel lobby, both fighters said Saturday will be a makeor-break night for each, one way or the other. But only Taylor seemed at ease with the magnitude of what he was undertaking. Taylor said that after losing two consecutive bouts he has at the same time an “amazing” and “unique” opportunity to become relevant in boxing again, and he has no plans on squandering it. “I feel a lot more relaxed,” Taylor said. “I know what I have to do. I’m ready to jump in the ring; I’m so ready. I was hitting the mitts today and couldn’t get tired. “ It’s going to be a totally different Jermain when I step in the ring. I’m not the No. 1 guy anymore. I have to build myself back up, and I’m ready to do that.” Taylor arrived in Nashville, which is hosting only its second televised boxing in the past 11 years, from his Miami-based training camp on Sunday. He has spent his time working out and going to the movies and little else, which is just fine with him. “I’m loving Nashville, actually,” Taylor said. “I know I say this every time, but I feel great. I feel I had a great training camp, back in Miami where it all started.” Lacy, too, said he was glad to be in Nashville. That’s where the positive discussion ended from the St. Petersburg, Fla., fighter. Lacy wore a scowl while reluctantly answering a reporter’s questions, and said he was anxious to get in the ring. “I’m glad to finally be at the end of training camp, but this part is the hardest for a fighter,” Lacy said. “The hurry up and wait. It’s uncontrollable for me. I’m edgy, I’m hungry, I’m just ready to go.” Perhaps Taylor has reason to be a bit more relaxed. Most sports books have installed Taylor as a 5-to-1 favorite, and there has been talk of a potential fight with Calzaghe, considered one of the top poundfor-pound boxers in the world, if Taylor beats Lacy convincingly. But Taylor wasn’t worrying about Calzaghe on Wednesday. He was too busy looking for music star Kid Rock, who was rumored to be nearby. “I’m looking for him. That’s my man,” Taylor said. Despite his well-known appreciation for country music, Taylor said he wasn’t going to attend Wednesday’s CMAs, an event hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood that turned a bright spotlight on this town. While Taylor appeared in good spirits — which is rare for him this close to fights — and said he would love to go to the show, he also said there is no time to think about anything other than Lacy. “I came to this training camp off a long layoff, already been beat twice, and at the lowest of the low,” Taylor said. “The only way I can get back is through Jeff, and that’s what I’m going to do. I have to shine all 12 rounds, and beat this boy convincingly.”