WHY was LACY expected to Crush Joe?

Congratulations to you. The majority counted him out though and MANY saw it as a mismatch in favor of the younger bigger puncher Lacy.

 

I sure remember the hysterical hype about Lacy that time, something like 30 out of 31 boxing "experts" predicted a Lacy win! I think it was because the SMW division was ruled by euros and was like is CW today, americans knew nothing about the fighters and the champs before Lacy came around, And i dont think Lacy really knew what he was going into either! The expectations to the poor guy was to high

I must say i have never seen the same kind of hype since, so i guess many was thougt a lesson.. Not just Lacy!

 

I didnt, to be honest the only fight that Lacy really showed anything was the Vanderpool fight and even then he had some trouble.
it was clear as a bell when Sheika fought him basicly Sheika was IMO shot when he fought Jeff and somehow used good boxing to make it a fight

 

the reid fight i think really topped the hype even though the ref was absolute atrocious and reid was in 1 heck of a bad state...

 

Because he was/is a Black American champion and he was fighting a Euro.

 

The common opponents they both shared, Lacy had more impressive results than Calzaghe did with them.

 

For the same reason that Bowe is expected to beat Vitaly.

Only difference is that Bowe hurried up and retired after Golota showed the world the mirage created by the media and little Evander. Lacy didnt retire when the bubble bust.

Jeff should have retired before or right after the Calzaghe fight. Then fans would have made all kinds of excuses for him - "world's shortest prime" etc.

 

Because Lacy impressed us all, atleast in my camp. He was strong, big supermiddleweight guy, who knew how to pressure and could get people out of there with one shot. Sheika troubled him, but Lacy still won comfortably on points, he BLASTED Sheika's conqueror in Scott Pemberton, and what was big to me, was that his right hand seemed to be improving. I had him in my mind as a sturdy, immensely powerful two fisted banger.

I actually predicted a Calzaghe win, but I must say, in all my posts saying so, I said it'd probably be controversial and because Joe's greater speed would build a superficial lead early in the fight, and that judges in this particular year or two in boxing were REALLY liking that.

I had no clue that Jeff wouldn't be able to lay a hand on Joe. The only time he did, a big right hand, a shot that had managed to affect every fighter Jeff had ever fought, Joe didn't budge, and smiled. The first 2 minutes of the first round, and that shot, made me say, "And scratch the controversial part."

 

I had Joe as a clear winner as soon as the fight was announced. Lacy did not look that good coming into this fight. He was easy to hit and telegraphed his shots. No way he beats Clazaghe not then not now.