NY Daily News Reports
Biloxi,Miss. - When Jeff Lacy was promoting his first boxing card in Tampa back in April, he invited Roy Jones Jr. to the show. Jones accepted the invitation, but he knew why Lacy wanted him ringside.
"I knew he was going to challenge me to a fight," Jones said. "I can't say no to a challenge."
The result is a 12-round light-heavyweight match between Jones and Lacy at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum tonight.
Lacy, the former IBF super middleweight champion, will be fighting at 175 pounds for the first time in his career.
"I actually feel my best at 172-173 pounds," said Lacy, who weighed in at 172 Thursday. "I'm stronger. I feel really good."
Lacy (25-2, 17 KOs) is co-promoting the show with Jones, though he isn't handling any of the nuts and bolts. His contribution has been minimal, but Lacy plans to close the show in spectacular fashion.
"This fight isn't going the distance, because I know that Roy is going to come to fight," Lacy said. "And when you come forward and stay in front of me, the fight won't go the distance."
Jones and Lacy are actually in the same boat as far as their careers are concerned. They are considered washed up as far as competing at the elite level. Both suffered lopsided losses to top opponents last November. Jones lost to Joe Calzaghe, Lacy to Jermain Taylor. The winner could remain relevant in the light-heavyweight division. The loser becomes an also-ran.
"My hands are still five times faster than Jeff Lacy's," Jones said. "And they're five times faster than everybody else on this card."
Lacy, 32, has just two losses in his career, but they have been devastating. He took a brutal beating at the hands of Calzaghe in 2006, which may have damaged his career beyond repair. He has not logged a single KO in the five fights since that loss. Part of that may have come from the fact that he had to have reconstructive surgery on his shoulder and missed a year in the ring. Lacy said that was not his problem against Taylor, his 2000 U.S. Olympic teammate.
"We were roommates in the Olympics," Lacy said. "I attended his wedding. The aggressive side of me didn't come out in the fight. I didn't feel like I was taking that many shots and I felt like I was landing a lot of my shots. But I lost the decision."
Lacy doesn't expect to have any motivational problems once he steps into the ring against Jones (53-5, 39 KOs). He has built-in motivation because he realizes that his career is on the line.
"When you're building up your career you're put in against guys who aren't that good and you know you can just go in and take care of them quickly," Lacy said. "But when you're fighting someone like Roy Jones you know he's coming to fight. ... I've been up for this fight from the day he said yes."
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