Jeff Lacy facts for kids

Jeffrey Scott Lacy (born May 12, 1977) is an American former professional boxer. He was known for his powerful punches and was often called "Left Hook." Jeff competed in boxing from 2001 to 2015. He held important titles like the IBF super middleweight title from 2004 to 2006 and the IBO super middleweight title from 2005 to 2006. Many people saw him as a rising star in boxing because of his strong build and how often he won by knockout.

Jeff Lacy's Early Boxing Days

Jeff Lacy had a very busy start in boxing, with over 200 amateur fights! He won several big championships. These included the 1998 and 1999 National PAL amateur champion titles at 165 pounds. He also became the 1998 U.S. National amateur champion in the same weight class.

Olympic Dream

Jeff Lacy was part of the 2000 United States Olympic boxing team. He competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Another famous boxer, Jermain Taylor, was also on that team. In his first Olympic fight, Lacy won by knockout against Cleiton Conceição from Brazil. He then won his second fight against Pawel Kakietek of Poland. In his third match, Lacy was stopped by Gaidarbek Gaidarbekov from Russia. Jeff Lacy finished his amateur career with an impressive record of 209 wins and only 12 losses.

Professional Boxing Career

Jeff Lacy turned professional in 2001. He quickly became known for his strong punches.

Rising to Stardom

Lacy's first professional fight was on February 2, 2001. He won by knockout in the first round. He continued this winning streak, knocking out his next eight opponents. He soon won his first professional title, the WBC Continental Americas super middleweight title. He earned this title by technical knockout in the second round against Anwar Oshana.

In 2003, Lacy won more titles, including the USBA and NABA super middleweight titles. He won these by beating Richard Grant. He kept defending his titles, showing he was a strong force in the super middleweight division. On October 2, 2004, Jeff Lacy won the vacant IBF super middleweight title. He defeated Syd Vanderpool by technical knockout. He successfully defended this world title against several tough opponents. These included Omar Sheika, Rubin Williams, former champion Robin Reid, and Scott Pemberton.

Challenging Joe Calzaghe

One of Jeff Lacy's most famous fights was against Joe Calzaghe. This big match took place on March 5, 2006, in Manchester, England. Many people thought Lacy would win because of his powerful punches and recent victories. However, Calzaghe was very fast and threw many punches. Lacy tried his best to land his famous left hook, but Calzaghe was able to avoid most of his attacks.

The fight went all 12 rounds. Calzaghe won by a unanimous decision, meaning all the judges agreed he was the winner. Lacy was even knocked down in the final round. This fight was a tough learning experience for Lacy.

After the Big Fight

After his loss to Calzaghe, Jeff Lacy continued to box. On December 2, 2006, he had a rematch with Vitali Tsypko. Lacy had fought Tsypko before, and that fight ended in a close decision. This time, Lacy won by a majority decision. After the fight, it was discovered that Lacy had a serious shoulder injury. He had surgery and took a year off from boxing to recover.

Lacy returned to the ring on December 8, 2007. He defeated Peter Manfredo Jr. by a unanimous decision. He also won against Epifanio Mendoza in July 2008. Later that year, he faced Jermain Taylor, a boxer he knew from his Olympic team days. Lacy lost this fight by unanimous decision.

In April 2009, Jeff Lacy won a close fight against Otis Griffin.

Later Career Fights

On August 15, 2009, Lacy fought against the legendary boxer Roy Jones Jr.. Lacy lost this fight by technical knockout in the tenth round. After this, Lacy took some time off. He returned to his hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida, for a fight in December 2010. He lost this match to Dhafir Smith.

After another break, Lacy returned in November 2013, winning by technical knockout. He fought a few more times in 2014 and 2015. His last professional fight was on January 30, 2015, against Sullivan Barrera, which he lost.

Jeff Lacy's Life Outside the Ring

Jeff Lacy also tried acting! He played a character named Malice Blake in a 2007 boxing movie called "The Hammer." Boxing runs in his family. Jeff is the younger brother of Hydra Lacy and the older brother of professional heavyweight Kenny Lacy and middleweight Marshawn Lacy. His father, Hydra Lacy Sr., was also a professional heavyweight boxer.

Professional Boxing Record Summary