Calzaghe / Lacy press conf today
Posted: 21 Nov 2005, 08:48
Joe out to put Lacy in his place
Nov 19 2005 - South Wales Echo
Joe Calzaghe will come face to face with rival Jeff Lacy in London's West End on Monday for the official announcement of their new year collision at the Millennium Stadium - and an impressive undercard is taking shape.
But a planned second press conference in Cardiff on Tuesday is off, although Calzaghe is due to cross the Atlantic to meet the American media early next month.
The fight itself, on either February 4 or March 4, will see Newbridge's long-serving WBO super-middleweight champion and his IBF counterpart touch gloves at 2am to fit in with prime time television in the US - reminiscent of the clash between Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno at the old National Stadium - but there'll be plenty to keep fans awake as they wait.
The chief support should involve the long-awaited cruiserweight crunch between veteran WBO boss Johnny Nelson and Swansea puncher Enzo Maccarinelli, as long as both come through their engagements in Italy next weekend.
Pontypool's Celtic welterweight king Tony Doherty is likely to have a rematch with the man he so controversially beat for the title in September, Abercynon's Taz Jones, while a clutch of top Welsh prospects will also feature.
But it seems the planned WBU middleweight bout between Cwmbran's Gary Lockett - also fighting in Rome next Saturday - and Sheffield's Ryan Rhodes is now destined for a different Sports Network bill, probably in the north of England.
It took a lot of hard talking before the Calzaghe-Lacy showdown, postponed from November 5 after Joe broke a hand on the hard head of Kenyan Evans Ashira, was nailed down for Cardiff - and it's not merely about hard cash.
The six-hour meeting in New York between allegedly and Lacy's promoter, Gary Shaw, also covered matters such as the size of the ring and who, given that both boxers are champions, would enter it first.
The Calzaghe camp apparently wanted a 22ft ring, but had to settle for 20ft, while a compromise was agreed over the preliminaries: Lacy will come in first, followed by the Welshman, but the MC will announce Joe before the American.
Nov 19 2005 - South Wales Echo
Joe Calzaghe will come face to face with rival Jeff Lacy in London's West End on Monday for the official announcement of their new year collision at the Millennium Stadium - and an impressive undercard is taking shape.
But a planned second press conference in Cardiff on Tuesday is off, although Calzaghe is due to cross the Atlantic to meet the American media early next month.
The fight itself, on either February 4 or March 4, will see Newbridge's long-serving WBO super-middleweight champion and his IBF counterpart touch gloves at 2am to fit in with prime time television in the US - reminiscent of the clash between Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno at the old National Stadium - but there'll be plenty to keep fans awake as they wait.
The chief support should involve the long-awaited cruiserweight crunch between veteran WBO boss Johnny Nelson and Swansea puncher Enzo Maccarinelli, as long as both come through their engagements in Italy next weekend.
Pontypool's Celtic welterweight king Tony Doherty is likely to have a rematch with the man he so controversially beat for the title in September, Abercynon's Taz Jones, while a clutch of top Welsh prospects will also feature.
But it seems the planned WBU middleweight bout between Cwmbran's Gary Lockett - also fighting in Rome next Saturday - and Sheffield's Ryan Rhodes is now destined for a different Sports Network bill, probably in the north of England.
It took a lot of hard talking before the Calzaghe-Lacy showdown, postponed from November 5 after Joe broke a hand on the hard head of Kenyan Evans Ashira, was nailed down for Cardiff - and it's not merely about hard cash.
The six-hour meeting in New York between allegedly and Lacy's promoter, Gary Shaw, also covered matters such as the size of the ring and who, given that both boxers are champions, would enter it first.
The Calzaghe camp apparently wanted a 22ft ring, but had to settle for 20ft, while a compromise was agreed over the preliminaries: Lacy will come in first, followed by the Welshman, but the MC will announce Joe before the American.
