The Kessler who faced Calzaghe V the Lacy who faced Calzaghe ?

I'm not making direct comparisons between Norton and Sheika.

I'm making a point about judging a fighter based on one fight.

I'm saying that Ali had trouble with a fighter that lost decisively to fighters Ali beat.

I'm saying you can't rate Lucy's entire pre-Calzaghe career on the basis of his performance against ONE fighter, and one he beat at that.

For those of you not following the sport at the time, Lacy was a heavy favourite against Calzaghe, and most thought he would win that fight in brutal fashion.

Here's a sampling of what American commentators were saying BEFORE the Lacy fight:

Eleven of the twelve boxing writers for "THE SWEET SCIENCE" picked Lacy, most by stoppage. Scott Mallon's was the only correct pick:



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Hindsight is 20-20.

And not just the sports writers.


"Two of the best professors from the school of the Marquis of Queensbury -- Freddie Roach and Jeff Fenech -- agree.. Both have predicted a Lacy victory. Roach and Fenech face off against each other tomorrow night when IBF/IBO flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan (Fenech) defends his titles against top-rated Diosdado Gabi (Roach) at Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, CA. The Darchinyan-gabi world title fight will be televised live on SHOWTIME as the main event on "ShoBox: The New Generation," beginning at 11 P.M. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast)."

"Lacy is too strong for Calzaghe," said Roach. "It will not go the distance. I see Lacy ending it in the later rounds, possibly by the 10th."

Added Fenech, "I don't see how Calzaghe can keep Lacy off of him. I wouldn't be surprised by a knockout, but I think it will probably be by a dominant unanimous decision."


James Toney declared it a mismatch in favour of Lacy.



It's easy for all of the 'analysts' to come out AFTER the fact, and say "Oh yeah, Lacy was always a bum"

His post Calzaghe career is hardly indicative, He had a confidence-destroying beating and a serious shoulder injury that took away perhaps his best weapon, the left hook.





Now take that version of Lacy, who still had his confidence, and still had his shoulder intact. What I'm asking is how would that Lacy have fared against 2007 Kessler ?

 

That's fine. you could come to that conclusion. i started the thread as part of a process to determine which of Kessler or Lacy was the better win for Calzaghe.

I still haven't decided.

The manner and thoroughness of the Lacy beating would favour it, here.

But the superiority of the opponent would favour the Kessler bout.

No. There isn't any frustration here. Both fights are long past and not of great significance at this point.

And peolpe were NOT aware of his limitations. That's my main point.

I'm a little bemused at "...people's awareness of Lacy's limitations." after the fact.

In fact, while I acknowledge his limitations, I'm quite certain he was NOT the bum some subsequently called him. Even some on here, who confidently predicted he would have an easy time.

A one-sided beating of the kind he received that evening accounts for some of his 'decline.'

Shoulder surgery that ruined his left hook accounts for some more.

And finally, he was probably never as good as his fans thought to begin with.


But he certainly wasn't as bad as he was subsequently rated, AFTER he was 'exposed.'