Jeff Lacy. The myth. And why Calzaghe is WAY short of being a legend.

Never considered Joe a legend to begin with. And there are several reasons for that. Out of his 46 professional fights, the guys only fought about 3 times +/- outside the UK. Talk about enjoying home court advantage. Now people mention the Lacy fight. But anybody who followed Lacy's career will tell you that he was farce to begin with. His biggest win before the Calazghe fight was against Robin Reid, anyone watching them fight will tell you that the ref had a lot to do with that win than Lacy himself. And so what that Lacy was undefeated when he faced Joe? It doesn't mean ****. So was Valuev at one time, and that ****er was on the verge of beating Marcino's record-would anyone in there right mind put those two fighters together in the same breath? **** No. Kessler? He looks good beating European bumbs and the first time he faced anyone with remotely the same talent in this case Calazghe-he got strached. Even than would anyone consider Kessler a HOF or all ATG. **** No. Although Hopkins makes every one look ugly, it was rather ugly win for Joe. Anybody who thinks that RJJ is the same Jones of nearly half a decade ago needs to get there head examined. And wasn't there video that was floating around ESB where 7 months before the RJJ fight Calazghe was massively glaoting what a washed up fighter RJJ was. Isn't that ironic. Is Joe HOF yes, absolutely.....but a legend no. Not even close.

 

You really believe that? You're out of your mind if you do. Try and ask yourself what percentage of posters on ESB are African-American or African-anything. The number will be not quite infinitesimal but statistically inconsequential. If there were a large number of African-Americans or African-American athletes joining an internet board to comment about boxing (something a comparative few would be wanting to do or spending their time doing [and the odds of ending up on ESB of all boxing sites is just laughable]) you can be certain the poll stats would be vastly different than the regularly asinine results returned on ESB. Only a large collection of sub-par athletes (mediocre non-athletes) OR demographically similar posters searching for a hero could ever produce the skewed poll results of an ESB (you know the kind where Ali is regularly compared to Klitschko, or RJJ with Calzaghe). You can be sure that the ESB "demographic" is easily better than 9 to 1 toward wishing for an "acceptable" hero for the (absolute) majority over objective knowledge of real athletic talent in their own lives or any others whether currently or historically.

If anything the representation of African-Americans is far, far too minimal on ESB considering their current and historical contribution to the highest level of athletic performance in so many athletic endeavors while making up only a relatively small percentage of the US population. There are large numbers of African-Americans interested in sports but there certainly are not a large and material number interested in showing up on the internet to make thousands or tens of thousands of posts on an "ESB" to argue boxing with a bunch of non-athletic novices.

But anecdotally, you'll be displeased to know that Joe didn't even garner any kind of notice for his two fights against Hopkins and Jones. ZERO. No favorable impression. There are non-sport fans that can recognize Lennox Lewis. NOBODY in the USA has a clue to Calzaghe's existence. The majority of comments from fans at Thomas & Mack and and bettors at the Mandalay sport book for that fight were "BHOP/Jones need to retire. How long have they been fighting now? They look soft and shot. Who's that white guy? He's not very good."

Perhaps if Joe had come over a near decade earlier then US sport fans would have said, "that (white) guy lost but at least he put up a great fight or gave his very best". But, Joe would never have been placed upon a pedestal as a great without facing the VERY BEST. Because of that, he would only have possibly been considered "good". Only idiots think that a close struggle over a 43-year old means you wouldn't have gotten your boots completely smoked by the same guy in his prime. Or, a tight struggle with a way past peak weight cutting Eubank means greatness. Or, managing to get a decision over a badly cut 40-year old who had been starched out COLD by two aging 36-year olds in the prior couple years was impressive (and getting dropped hard in the 1st round in the process).

No, the criticism of Joe has nothing to do with race or nationality. His idolization by the same posters over and over again on ESB? .. well, that is apparently and most definitely the case by the numbers ...

 

I despise this reasoning. How many fights has Bernard Hopkins fought outside of the US? Jones? Mayweather?

I will never understand this notion that boxers from elsewhere must bend over and take it up the ass at the negotiating table to fight in the US. DM offered Roy Jones a $10,000,000 payday to come to Germany when Jones' career high at that point was $5,000,000 and Jones refused. But DM was called a coward for not taking a 50% paycut to come to the US to fight Jones. It is ridiculous. This isn't 1950 anymore. Boxing is an international sport, it is unfair to expect foreign boxers to leave their home countries AND take paycuts just because of outdated views about the US being the "Mecca of Boxing." Klitschko, Calzaghe, Hatton etc. have all sold out 50,000+ person stadiums in Europe recently, it has been decades since an American boxer sold tickets like that

 

:good So true! Think most knows you just gave the answer! but this is just ESB not the intire worlds opinion.. and thank god for that!

 

Where do you get the notion that foreign fighters are being short changed to fight here in the U.S., that is an asinine of comment as I've heard. If that was the case, have Pacquaio and all the Mexican fighters, like JMM respectively fight in there own country and let me see how much money they make or generate. In general, this is where they make the money, and this is where the talent and history is. Pacquiao is more well known then the President of the Philliphines , and is a massive Asian cultural icon-why hasn't a single one of his major fights taken place in the Philliphines let a lone another asian country? That's just one example and one foreign fighter among many I can think of that benefts substantially fighting here in the states. And you talk about how American's haven't made a living or are reluctant to fight outside of the U.S. Last time I checked Winky Wright did. And there are cornucopia of other American fighters I can mention from past and present. And why shouldn't America still be the Mecca of boxing. One there is at least some sort neutrality here. It maybe not be perfect, but it strives to do a better job. Ask any American or British fighters about the chances that they could walk out with a decision in Germany. There isn't that much worry about historical, cultural, social, grudges here in the states that would interfere with a decision. I am not saying it doesn't or won't exist it's just not as obvious or as extreme. In addition to the rich history, on top of that the best talent is here, whether it's boxers or trainers The Mosley, RJJ, Hopkings, Wrights, Wiliams, DHL's of the world are here. Sure Hatton could of sold 50,000 tickets in Britain fighting the Witters of the world, but would he have found the same level of competition, such as the likes of Mayweather in Britain? How about Lennox Lewis had he fought in the U.K all the time? Lets go back in History how about Duran? Last time I checked DLH and Mayweather, two American fighters, made the biggest money ever in boxing. Let me see two European fighters make that much money. Or just ask Lewis how much money he made fighting Tyson-a washed up Tyson in America. It could also be said similarly or analogously the reason why most Latino, Asian, African, middle eastern players are playing soccer in European leagues, is again like boxing in America, the talent, competition, resources, training and the money among others things are there.

 

Dude, I like Calzaghe and I think many yanks underrate him.

However the fact that people were WRONG about Lacy before the Calzaghe fight cannot in any way be an argument for Calzaghe being great now.

If it was it is like saying "Oh, you were wrong then - and now suddenly you want to be right!!! - what hypocrits!!".. No, ofcourse people have learned from looking at Jeff in the rear view mirror.

Lacy never beat a top 10 fighter and is not very good. Please don't use Lacy - neither what he is nor the image he had - to argue that Calzaghe is great. That will FAIL!!!! Lacy never was and is not - a very good fighter.

Calzaghe is a great fighter but he has to live without the hype of Lacy - which has been proven wrong without a shaddow of a doubt.

 

Great stuff from you, Brit. I never hated Calzaghe per se, I just felt like all of the nuthugging for the guy was unwarranted. I just feel like he never really proved himself and took the tomato route as I already mentioned. I mean, I have WAY more respect for someone like Ricky Hatton (who I always felt was overrated, too), because he at least had the balls to face Floyd and Manny. Joe didn't dare dream do something so risky, and that's pathetic.

 

this thread is remarkably similar to people pointing at the wlad-peter fight retrospectively and saying 'peter was a bum anyway'. same concept, calzaghe took something from lacy in the same way klitschko did peter

 

FTR, I'm Italian-American. lol

 

Calzague is a ****ing FRAUD! FRAUD FRAUD FRAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUD!

 

put it this way...LAcy in his prime wouldnt even be a top 10 ROy Jones opponent..that puts Joes opposition into perspective.

Virgil Hill
Malinga
Reggie Johnson
Tarver
Ruiz
Hopkins
Toney
Griffin
Woods
Gonzalez

are all better than Jeff

 

I agree.

 

This is unfair. I don't think anyone considers Lacy to be Joe's best opponent. However, Lacy was in a very real sense Joe's career defining fight. I'm going to use your own word - perspective: put yourself back in 2006 and revisit the hype and what this did for his career. He was a virtual nobody to US ESB regulars and he shocked a lot of people. It doesn't matter what Lacy has done since - it really was a career defining moment because it made us all pay attention.

 

Calzage was a great fighter, a legend, nope, no way, Had he spent the 10 years fighting the best American boxers would he have the same record? , I doubt it. I still think he would have had a great impact on American boxing and beaten most opponents.
But he did not, I can only look at what he did, not what he might have done.
The Lacy fight was only impressive for the magnitude of the beat down laid on Lacy, to be honest Lacy looked like he did not belong in the same ring with Calzage.
As to the Wlad-Peter fight I do not think Peter was "bum" I think he's a good fighter with decent potential, just on that night he made no, zero effort to actually hit Wlad, and quit lamely on his stool.
Calzage quit on a high note ( relatively) undefeated, and with everything intact, I have to give his respect for that. But a Legend?, far from it, just a great undefeated fighter.

 

it was an epic display, i don't give a **** what you think of lacy now. at the time the bloke was an undefeated, hugely backed stud and he got taken to school in one of the greatest showings of the decade. he wasn't just beaten, calzaghe took his soul.

it astounds me that people have the front to **** on such a flawless performance.