I’ve been on the wrong side of the prediction game as of late. Maybe it’s just been a case of bad luck, as we have witnessed our fair 
share of upsets. The two "Vics" losing, Diaz and Darchinyan, sure did not help my cause. Maybe the boxing fight predictor isn’t working? Doubtful. Whatever it is, my bad luck should stop when Roy Jones, Jr. (53-5, 39 KOs) faces off against fellow Floridian Jeff "Left Hook" Lacy (25-2, 17 KOs). Despite the fact that both fighters are close to shot, this shapes up as a pretty entertaining match.
The question is: who is less shot?
Although Jones is eight years older than Jeff Lacy, Left Hook appears to be more shopworn. I know. This sounds crazy. But think about it, which big name fighter has looked less impressive in the past few years than Jeff Lacy? The sad truth is that ever since his thrashing at the hands of Joe Calzaghe nearly three-and-a-half years ago Lacy has looked pretty awful.
The evidence speaks for itself. Vitali Tsypko. Epifanio Mendoza. Otis Griffin. What do they all have in common? All of these guys lost very close, majority decisions to Lacy in the past three years. We all saw how good he made Jermain Taylor look late last year. And we know how hard that is to do (with all due respect to Jermain).
Roy Jones doesn’t really have much to brag about over the same time period either. But at least he dominated his over-matched foes – Prince Badi Ajamu, Anthony Hanshaw, the ghost of Felix Trinidad, and Omar Sheika. Jones was also dominated by Calzaghe, but was at least able to hurt the Welshman in the first round. Lacy on the other hand probably hurt Calzaghe’s hands with his head. Can you tell who I am favoring in this upcoming fight?
Despite the fact that I feel both men should retire, I can’t hate on them. They both have the right to earn a dollar, and I am sure that a lot of folks in the Sunshine State will be happy to see both local heroes in action. If the fight is a dud, Floridians can at least look forward to football season, which rules in those parts. If Lacy beats Jones, I will start giving fantasy football advice instead of boxing advice. Yeah right.
Jones, Jr. by unanimous decision over Jeff Lacy.
Important side note: I expect one of my favorite fighters, Nonito Donaire (21-1, 14 KOs) to win impressively (via KO) against Hugo Fidel Cazares (30-6-1, 22 KOs). But I won’t make an official prediction because of the upset virus that has been going around lately. I do not want to jinx the Filipino Flash.
I agree with most of your analysis but I feel the outcome will be different than what you predict. I think that Lacy will put a clinic on Jones. Lacy is the stronger fighter and he will impose his power against Jones extinct reflexes. Jones is not the elusive fighter he once ones and I believe he will get caught with that famous Lacy left hook and it will be lights out for Jones. Lacy has something to prove he can still somewhat save his career and he will shine. Lacy will be no Sheika and he will hurt Jones because he does have descent speed.
Jones was impressive against a meandering slug. A 1-dimensional plodding mule. Lacy did not attack from any angles and he exuded the guile of a man who’d shit his pants. Jones was able to continue his conversation because Lacy was so predictable. “Left hook Lacy” just mauled in, with his head to Jones’s chest,getting picked him with uppercuts and flashy combinations.
Against anyone with even a modium of agility (which Lacy lacked) Jones would not have been able to put on such a show. The quite frankly pathetic clowning that ensued from Jones was a testament to how bad Lacy was. Jones doesn’t have the right to be so cocky anymore. He certainly isn’t the greatest. Such a show from “Captain Hook” only LOOKS impressive, however he certainly made a “Tinkerbell” out of Lacy.
O.K. He made Lacy look like a fool and yes, Roy may have a talent for making B- class opponents look bad. BUT faced with someone good, the clowning stops and the frailties set in. Jones thought he could do “his show” against Calzaghe, but the 35 year old Welshman’s superior conditioning, agility, speed, tactical accumen and heart saw him win through. Looking flashy doesn’t mean your still good. Doing it against a quality fighter is what it’s about, and Jones can’t do that now.
“The ego” can only pump himself up by fighting bums now. Mark my words- he fights Green, it’s the end of his career. He’ll be convinced by his sycophants and hangers on to fight more bums, so that he can milk his career. He’ll succeed; and feed his ego with his pathetic showmanship in the process.
Did you notice how at the end of the fight he circled away from Lcey- he knew he that Lacy was coming over to congratulate him- but turned his back to him, feigning as if he didn’t know he was coming. He just wanted to be the big man and congratulate Lacy on his own terms to make him look small. Roy Jones is a cocky son of a bitch.
He has had his come-uppance several times, yet seems to be able to resurrect his ego time and time again. The upshot? Well. I guess we’ll all be forced to endure another 3-4 meaningless Jones fights before we see him look like a bum against someone good again. The fact that “the someone good” is a 43 year old, shows something about the state of boxing at the moment. Calzaghe retired simply because there wasn’t anyone good enough to fight.
Captain Hook? More like Peter Pan and Never Never Land for me!
Ben, you are totally correct in your assessment of Roy’s performance. Like I stated in my prediction, Lacy made Jermain Taylor look as good as he had looked in years (no minor feat). That being said, I don’t think Calzaghe retired because there was no one left to fight. You need not look any further than the exciting super middleweight tourney to know there is talent at 168. He simply retired because he cleared out all of his peer comp at 168, in terms of age, and also got big wins against big American names (Hopkins, Jones). It was the perfect time to retire. If he had stayed on, like all greats, he surely would have lost, and I think a few guys may have been able to do the trick (Chad Dawson and perhaps Andre Dirrell)…but we’ll never know.
Yeah Roy was the obvious winner of the bout so quit being haters. We all know what would have happen to Calzaghhe had that cut from over Roy’s brow stoped runing into his eye before the end of the match. Ya’ll know that nobody puts on a show like Roy Jones Jr. He’s put on some of the worst clinics you have ever seen. Sure he’s an old man but he’s never been a boring fighter and wouldnt you keep kickin ass and gettin money if you were him. -Roy Jone/Money Mayweather all day- Oh and Pac Man Aint Sh**! but a fighter waitin to get his A** whooped when the money is right 50/50 split my A**!
I loved a prime Roy but I don’t like this version. This is like a bad sequel – Jaws 3, Blade Trinity and Superman IV come to mind.