Yeah I always liked Lacy, he was a respectful guy and good at what he did - monstering his opponents. I picked Calzaghe to beat him on points but I didn't expect him to thrash him like he did - it was a masterclass! I think that loss haunts Lacy to this day - you could see he was systematically broken down, both physically and mentally that night - and I don't believe he has regained his confidence yet. I agree the fight should have been stopped around the 10th too - Lacy was falling over too much, his legs were gone, he was physically exhausted, and he showed great heart to last the 12. And yes, I think all the people who have turned on Lacy since that loss have been too harsh on him - I suspect those people are made up of bandwagon jumpers who watched their hopes of the next Tyson disappear that night, and Calzaghe and/or European boxer haters who cannot give credit to Calzaghe, or any European, who beats a black US boxer.
It's a shame he was treated so badly, because I think if he'd had a fanbase worthy of his talents, he could have bounced back from the Calzaghe loss. This is why America now has problems producing young talent that lasts: they tend to abandon boxers too early and then the prospect loses his confidence. If Lacy was, say, Canadian, he'd probably be a world champion right now.
the treatment was harsh. he got let down by his corner but i give him credit for not quitting himself he fought till the final bell and wesh torn apart from the start of round 1. he lost agaisnt the best where is the shame in that. get behind you fighters if they loose then they now know they have something to get better at then come back
Lacy treated unfairly, definitely. He was overhyoed, yes (seriously, he only beat one good fighter prior to the JC fight) but US fans generally had no clue about the SMW division back then as most of the good fighters were from Europe and Australia. But he didn't get "shot" after the fight - he beat #5 contender (at the time) Tsypko with a torn rotator cuff (most people can barely stand up without passing out with a torn cuff) - if thats Lacy syndrome I'd like to get it. He had balls and people need to respect that. As for the comment that only Americans could treat fighters that badly then you should look at the way Kessler was treated in Denmark after his loss to JC. He gets treated like a pathetic loser in the Danish press, particular after the Miranda farce.
Oh, and Lacy was rushed into big fights WAY too early. Check out Winky's record - if he had had Lacy's exposure that early on he would have been abandoned before he even got a title shot.
The nature of the sport is just so rough. The boxing world eats people up and spits them out. The individual has to be aware of the risks involved in being a professional prizefighter. You can be the talk of the town one day and find yourself being an afterthought the next. The cover of Ring Magazine today and the topic of a "where are they now?" tomorrow. From the moment he won the title from Vanderpool in '04 to the Calzaghe fight in March of '06 Lacy was riding a tidal wave. His popularity grew and the wins kept coming. He actually made the cover of The Ring after the Reid fight and was given free passes by the media and continuously hyped. One night ended all that. Only in boxing can such an extended period of popularity end so suddenly. Only in boxing can the fall from grace be so precipitous. Lacy is a victim of the sport. Were we too harsh on him? Maybe. Will he do it again with the next fighter that captures our imagination? Absolutely. As a matter of fact, we've probably got that guy lined up somewhere right now.
He was unfortunate that he got Calzaghe on a night when he was in the form and shape of his life. Kessler and Hopkins are bigger wins, but the Lacy performance was as perfect as you are ever likely to see. His motivation to go out there and prove that he was a world class fighter made him the best in the world that night. Lacy showed guts to travel to Britain, he was an exciting fighter and a likeable guy, and he has been treated badly since then. The Tyspko fight is the prime example, fighting with a bad injury for 7+ rounds and still pulling out a win v a very competent guy deserves a lot of respect, but he was rubbished still further after that fight. He is still capable of winning titles in that division.