Taylor Follows the Script; decisions Lacy over twelve

When the crossroads fight between former champions Jermain Taylor and Jeff Lacy was announced, most people seemed to come to the conclusion that Taylor was a little fresher and would be able to control Lacy with his superior technique and ramrod jab. 
          
For the most part, that was how things played out as Taylor cruised to a unanimous decision win over Lacy, by scores of 119-109 twice, and 118-108. Taylor seemed to be sharper throughout the contest and despite a very g ame effort from his 2000 Olympic teammate, the Arkansas native was able to stay out of harm’s way and register a much needed win to up his ledger to 28-2-1 with 17 knockouts. Lacy sees his record drop to 24-2 with 17 knockouts.
           
There was a time when Lacy was an undefeated Super Middleweight Champion and his explosive power and punishing style were his defining trademarks. A March 2006 loss to Welshman Joe Calzaghe set everything back for the St. Petersburg , Florida native Lacy, and he has never seemed to be the same fighter since.

For his part, Taylor was coming off of back to back losses to Kelly Pavlik and hadn’t stepped into the ring in nearly nine months. The first loss to Pavlik was brutal and devastating to Taylor ’s career and he wasn’t able to fully redeem himself in their rematch less than five months later as he lost a close and somewhat uneventful decision. With a win over Lacy, Taylor seems to be again on the rise a nd whispers had it that a potential showdown with Calzaghe may be his true desire.

The matchup between Taylor and Lacy may have been a few years overdue but it still was a fine showcase of the fighting spirit between two previously established world class fighters. Lacy made the contest as physical and rough as he could yet he wasn’t able to break through his slightly younger foe. With the loss Lacy now has many questions floating around him and some will suggest his best option may be to call it a day. Taylor is in a nice position with the win but his overall standing in the Super Middleweight division remains to be seen, as there are several challenges and tests that await him.