“I am getting back in the ring on December 11 and I would like to put ’em on notice that I have been taking all the necessary steps to get where I need to be to make some noise,” stated former super middleweight champion Jeff Lacy, who contacted FightHype.com over the weekend to make it clear that after a lengthy rehab, he’s 100% healthy and ready to make a serious return to the ring. Earlier this year, FightHype had a chance to speak with Jeff Lacy shortly after his disappointing loss to the legendary Roy Jones Jr. After a performance that saw the former champion unable to let his hands go, specifically his favorite punch, the left hook, Lacy revealed that he never fully recovered from a shoulder injury that he sustained a few years ago prior to the bout.
Although Lacy was making no excuses for the loss, admitting that Jones was the better man that night, he also felt that his decision to fight knowing that his shoulder wasn’t 100% greatly impacted his own performance. In fact, the last time Lacy spoke with FightHype, he ended the conversation saying, “you won’t hear from me again until my shoulder is 100%.” Apparently, the shoulder is now 100% and he’s ready to prove that he still has the tools that once made him a world champion. A confident Lacy would explain, “I have been seeing a therapist this entire time, since the last time we spoke back in February, and all I will say is I can show you better than I can tell you what’s going to happen.”
Before his loss to Calzaghe, Lacy steamrolled through the super middleweight division, going 22-0 with 17 KO’s en route to capturing a World Championship. Since that devastating first loss of his career, Lacy has gone 4-2 over his last six fights and most people have seemingly written him off. I, however, am very interested in seeing if Lacy can recapture his championship form. Was the shoulder injury that he sustained one that he will never be able to recover from, or was proper rest and rehabilitation the key to fixing his problems inside of the ring.
Keep in mind that another fighter by the name of Vitali Klitschko sustained the same type of injury nearly 10 years ago, failing to answer the bell during his world title fight with Chris Byrd. I, for one, can appreciate it when a fighter does everything he can to make it through adversity, and continue to stay motivated and focused to get back to form and let his actions speak for themselves. Is Lacy capable of making the same type of comeback now that his shoulder is 100%? Time will tell, but in the meantime, Lacy’s road back begins on the night of December 11th.
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