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written by Dave Spencer, ********* Canada
2006-01-15
Less than twenty-four hours after his corner threw in the towel against WBA champion Mikkel Kessler, challenger Eric Lucas touched down at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport in Montreal. “Kessler was sharp last night,” Lucas’s trainer Stephane Larouche told *********. How sharp could be seen by looking at the face of the former world champion Lucas that had been cut to ribbons by the rapier left jab of Kessler.
Lucas was non-committal on his boxing future, saying that he would decide while on a South American vacation he plans on taking this Thursday. “The last time (after the loss to Danny Green) it took me eight months to make a decision,” said Lucas. “This time I expect to make an announcement once I get back from vacation.”
By all accounts though, all signs point to retirement. “By the eighth round, I started to stop the fight,” said Larouche, “I promised myself by the fact that he was 34 years old, that we needed to go to the end. The maximum, the furthest we could go to get out of boxing with no regrets and get out of the ring without even an ounce of regret. I know that I went as far as I could go as a trainer and that he went as far as he could go as a fighter.”
“I respect the decision of Stephane,” said Lucas about the stoppage. “I didn’t have a chance to see myself between rounds; right now I’m glad to be okay.”
As long as there are two top-ranked super-middleweights in Montreal, there will always be the lure of a big money payday for Lucas and Otis Grant to hook up, but don’t count on it. “He’s done a lot of boxing,” said Larouche, “He’s tired of it, tired of doing it, but if something can motivate him, he’ll keep doing it. But if there is no motivation; there is no payday, there is no fight, there is no dreams that will make him come back.”
Asked directly about Otis Grant who went on record as challenging Lucas early last year, Larouche made it clear that such a fight seemed unlikely. “It’s not a matter of who he would fight or how much money, it’s a matter of whether he feels that he wants to do it. I can tell you that he’s told me, that without a title fight, he’d have no motivation. That’s the reason. Honestly, he was retiring in June and he said, ‘If you can get a title fight, even if it’s tough, I want to do it, unless I’m not boxing anymore.’ I told myself, this guy cannot quit like this, we need to get one more chance, one more opportunity. That’s what we did, and I think no matter the result, I think he showed courage, determination, guts and that unique quality to be champion.”
“When I look at my career, I’m proud,” said Lucas who described Kessler as the best fighter he has faced since Roy Jones.
“He was better than I expected,” he confided, “During the bout I tried to get close to him, but he did a good job at keeping the distance. It was impossible to get to him.” He’ll be a boxer to follow in the years ahead; I think he is the most dangerous at this weight category.”
If Lucas does hang up his gloves, he does so with a 38-7-3 record and as former WBC super-middleweight champion and the future of the once fledgling Interbox in good order. Lucas purchased the promotional outfit that was in receivership as a means of recouping monies owed to him from the Danny Green fight of 2003. It was just Lucas and then 5-0 Lucian Bute who comprised the roster of the new company. Since that time, Lucas has been able to hand the torch to his young protégé not only as a legitimate threat in the 168-pound division but also as a box-office draw. The young Romanian has headlined the last two Interbox shows in Montreal selling out Bell Centre in the process while a roster of youngsters are quickly becoming stars in their own right. A pair of Interbox shows are scheduled in Montreal for March.
2006-01-15
Less than twenty-four hours after his corner threw in the towel against WBA champion Mikkel Kessler, challenger Eric Lucas touched down at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport in Montreal. “Kessler was sharp last night,” Lucas’s trainer Stephane Larouche told *********. How sharp could be seen by looking at the face of the former world champion Lucas that had been cut to ribbons by the rapier left jab of Kessler.
Lucas was non-committal on his boxing future, saying that he would decide while on a South American vacation he plans on taking this Thursday. “The last time (after the loss to Danny Green) it took me eight months to make a decision,” said Lucas. “This time I expect to make an announcement once I get back from vacation.”
By all accounts though, all signs point to retirement. “By the eighth round, I started to stop the fight,” said Larouche, “I promised myself by the fact that he was 34 years old, that we needed to go to the end. The maximum, the furthest we could go to get out of boxing with no regrets and get out of the ring without even an ounce of regret. I know that I went as far as I could go as a trainer and that he went as far as he could go as a fighter.”
“I respect the decision of Stephane,” said Lucas about the stoppage. “I didn’t have a chance to see myself between rounds; right now I’m glad to be okay.”
As long as there are two top-ranked super-middleweights in Montreal, there will always be the lure of a big money payday for Lucas and Otis Grant to hook up, but don’t count on it. “He’s done a lot of boxing,” said Larouche, “He’s tired of it, tired of doing it, but if something can motivate him, he’ll keep doing it. But if there is no motivation; there is no payday, there is no fight, there is no dreams that will make him come back.”
Asked directly about Otis Grant who went on record as challenging Lucas early last year, Larouche made it clear that such a fight seemed unlikely. “It’s not a matter of who he would fight or how much money, it’s a matter of whether he feels that he wants to do it. I can tell you that he’s told me, that without a title fight, he’d have no motivation. That’s the reason. Honestly, he was retiring in June and he said, ‘If you can get a title fight, even if it’s tough, I want to do it, unless I’m not boxing anymore.’ I told myself, this guy cannot quit like this, we need to get one more chance, one more opportunity. That’s what we did, and I think no matter the result, I think he showed courage, determination, guts and that unique quality to be champion.”
“When I look at my career, I’m proud,” said Lucas who described Kessler as the best fighter he has faced since Roy Jones.
“He was better than I expected,” he confided, “During the bout I tried to get close to him, but he did a good job at keeping the distance. It was impossible to get to him.” He’ll be a boxer to follow in the years ahead; I think he is the most dangerous at this weight category.”
If Lucas does hang up his gloves, he does so with a 38-7-3 record and as former WBC super-middleweight champion and the future of the once fledgling Interbox in good order. Lucas purchased the promotional outfit that was in receivership as a means of recouping monies owed to him from the Danny Green fight of 2003. It was just Lucas and then 5-0 Lucian Bute who comprised the roster of the new company. Since that time, Lucas has been able to hand the torch to his young protégé not only as a legitimate threat in the 168-pound division but also as a box-office draw. The young Romanian has headlined the last two Interbox shows in Montreal selling out Bell Centre in the process while a roster of youngsters are quickly becoming stars in their own right. A pair of Interbox shows are scheduled in Montreal for March.