“Hook City” may very well be one of the strangest names we’ve seen for a fight promotion in quite some time. Perhaps it is fitting, because it is attached to one of the stranger fights we’ve seen as well.
Roy Jones Jr. clearly needs no introduction. Many boxing fans swore off watching Jones fight ever again—about five fights ago. Much like his contemporary, Brett Favre, all seems to be forgotten when he shows up and says he wants to compete again.
Jeff Lacy, on the other hand, is an entirely different story. For all the talk of him being washed up, and an afterthought, it’s very hard to imagine that he only has two losses on his record. Find me another former Olympian that was considered washed up at the relatively young age of 32 after only two professional losses. You may find some, but it’s no easy task.
On Saturday, August 15, 2009, at the Gulf Coast Arena in Biloxi, MS, these two men will face each other in an attempt to add another act onto their careers. For Jones, most fans agreed that after his embarrassing loss to Joe Calzaghe, he should probably retire. You’ll have to excuse my skepticism, but his last fight, against Omar Sheika in March of this year, appeared to me to be a blatant farce designed to get Jones another fight. Sheika was clearly not hurt when the referee stopped the fight. However, I’d like to think Jones and his team have more integrity than to pull a stunt like that, and I hope I am right.
For Lacy, who is coming off a disputed decision over Otis Griffin, and a complete manhandling at the hands of Jermain Taylor before that, a win over even a 40-year old Jones would be the signature win he needs to prove that he even belongs on the stage at this point.
Ever since Jones was knocked out by Antonio Tarver, he’s been a shell of his former self. His subsequent fight, against Glen Johnson, was the first time we saw Roy display what I playfully began calling, “The Roy Jones Pose.” It seems that as soon as Jones is punched flush in a fight, he simply covers up and only throws punches reluctantly and sporadically. This makes him a sitting duck for any boxer, especially one with some pop.
When Lacy was being dismantled by Taylor, he never stopped coming forward and pressing the action. Even when he was being outboxed, he was up to the challenge. I see no reason to think that Jones will deliver any blows significant enough to deter Lacy from attacking.
I see two possible ways this fight can go, but I can not decide which one I think will happen. Either Jones will be able to use his hand speed, which is still superior to Lacy’s, to hold him off and mostly pot shot him for the entire fight or Lacy will get to him with a significant punch early in the fight and send Jones into retreat mode.
In his heyday, Jones’ athleticism was his defense, and he routinely pitched shut outs against opponents. He hasn’t been able to do that lately and I don’t see it happening here. Can we actually picture Roy Jones fighting “balls to the wall” in an all out brawl? I can’t say that I can.
I believe we will know the winner within the first three rounds. If at that point, Roy has stayed clean and showed the ability to thwart Lacy’s attack and land significant punches, I would see no reason why he wouldn’t be able to continue that for the duration of the fight.
If Lacy is able to get to Jones within those first three rounds with any significant punches, a ‘left hook’ perhaps, then I think Jones will retreat into his shell, leaving Lacy with plenty of room to swing for the fences in an attempt to get him out of there.
The most intriguing part of this fight might be the uncertainty of it. I can honestly say that no matter who wins and in what manner, I will likely still be surprised by what I saw.
.....source
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