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It was 2 a.m. in Manchester, England. Joe Calzaghe was tired, having slept poorly in the weeks leading up to his super middleweight unification fight with Jeff Lacy. If Calzaghe did not yet want to sleep, then at least Lacy desired to put him there, having predicted a knockout victory over his Welsh opponent.
Yet just two rounds into the bout, it was Calzaghe that was full of energy, and Lacy whose hopes, chances and stamina were being drained. The proverbial writing was already on the wall, and Calzaghe could have confidently looked Lacy in the eyes and channeled Edward R. Murrow by saying, “Good night, and good luck.”
In his blue corner, Calzaghe boldly asserted that it would indeed be a good night, telling his father and trainer Enzo, “He can’t punch,” adding an expletive for fecal matter to the end of the sentence, and then describing Lacy with the same term.
It wasn’t bluster in the slightest, nor self-motivation, because Calzaghe didn’t need any tactics beyond what he was already employing in the ring. Through a well-developed plan of constant activity that involved a variety of angles to launch his accurate arsenal from, the “Pride of Wales” had neutralized any of Lacy’s perceived advantages, ducking his power shots and countering back hard. He had reduced “Left Hook” to less than his nickname, a young, highly-touted punching bag that, if possible, threw less than one punch at a time. [details]
Yet just two rounds into the bout, it was Calzaghe that was full of energy, and Lacy whose hopes, chances and stamina were being drained. The proverbial writing was already on the wall, and Calzaghe could have confidently looked Lacy in the eyes and channeled Edward R. Murrow by saying, “Good night, and good luck.”
In his blue corner, Calzaghe boldly asserted that it would indeed be a good night, telling his father and trainer Enzo, “He can’t punch,” adding an expletive for fecal matter to the end of the sentence, and then describing Lacy with the same term.
It wasn’t bluster in the slightest, nor self-motivation, because Calzaghe didn’t need any tactics beyond what he was already employing in the ring. Through a well-developed plan of constant activity that involved a variety of angles to launch his accurate arsenal from, the “Pride of Wales” had neutralized any of Lacy’s perceived advantages, ducking his power shots and countering back hard. He had reduced “Left Hook” to less than his nickname, a young, highly-touted punching bag that, if possible, threw less than one punch at a time. [details]
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