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Photo © Tom Casino/SHOWTIME
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When Jose Luis Castillo puts his WBC Lightweight belt on the line this Saturday against talented Julio ‘The Kid’ Diaz, the drama will most likely be hot and heavy. With bragging rights in the Lightweight division on the line, the Showtime televised contest will most likely produce some great action for all to enjoy. However, as good as the main event looks to be, one would be foolish to overlook the evening’s undercard action, as IBF Super Middleweight Champion Jeff Lacy once again steps into the ring, looking to defend his belt against Rubin Williams. A fight with Jeff Lacy is likely to produce great action, and we could once again see him stealing the show from the main event.
Lacy stopped by BraggingRightsCorner to talk about the upcoming fight and other areas of interest regarding the Sweet Science. Here’s what we discussed, topic to topic…
Rubin Williams…
‘Williams is going to present a good challenge simply because he is fighting for a world championship. I know what the feeling is like to be fighting for your first world title and I have to be prepared for him. That’s why I’ve trained so hard, just to make sure that a loss doesn’t happen’
Las Vegas…
‘I like Vegas and all of the legends have fought there. When you think of boxing and a place to have a fight, you think of Vegas because it’s a fight town. Fighting here is great. I’d love to have as many fights here as possible. There’s nothing that will take over the feeling of fighting in Las Vegas.’
Winky Wright vs. Felix Trinidad…
‘ I think Winky is going to shock a lot of people. I think he’s going to go out and beat Trinidad. Not talking down on Trinidad, he’s a great fighter, but Winky loves being the underdog and he loves proving people wrong, just like myself.’
Winky Wright inside the ring…
‘He’s a great fighter. If you were going to try to find someone with the best skills, Winky would be the first one I would look to. The only thing about Winky is that he doesn’t carry the punching power along with that, but that’s his only downfall. As far as skill and everything else, he’s the man. ‘
Winky Wright outside the ring…
‘Winky’s very laid back, like myself. He’s a person that you can come up to and just have a conversation with. He doesn’t have a big head from all that he’s accomplished. He has his head on straight... Just seeing what he’s been through and seeing him deal with a lot of pressure has helped me along the way. I see him getting through obstacles that would break other fighters down, and its like he’s coaching me and preparing me for the future.'
Sparring with Wright…
‘The sparring sessions between us are great. You definitely want to get in there with someone who’s going to make you think because boxing is a thinking sport. One of the things that I learned as an amateur was that you have to be willing to get in the ring and learn. If you’re in the sport just to knock people out and fight then you’re not going to get anywhere. That’s what I take away from working with Winky, and he learns from me too.’
Born, raised, and getting into boxing…
‘I was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida. I was fighting in elementary school. My teacher called my dad and told him that I was in trouble again for fighting so he took me to a local boxing gym in St. Petersburg. He put me in the ring with a guy who was smaller than I was but knew how to defend himself. I got in the ring thinking I was the stronger man and I would win, but that wasn’t the case. I got my butt kicked and I hated to lose so I stuck with it because I always wanted to get him back.’
The Real Deal…
‘Evander Holyfield was my idol coming up. I watched all of his fights. I loved his warrior mentality. A lot of people don’t give him credit for what he’s accomplished. He was really a cruiserweight fighting with these big heavyweights and holding his own. I owe him a lot of credit.
I always watch both of his fights with Dwight Qawi. The first fight was the best. That was a war. His drive and determination always stood out. He had the ability to get himself up for a fight. You just couldn’t deny him. Going into the Syd Vanderpool fight I had that same mentality and I owe it to Evander.'
Holyfield knocking out Mike Tyson…
‘I knew it was going to happen. Before the fight I called it and I even said that there was going to be a knockdown late in the fight.’
Running…
‘I run an 8-mile run on one day of the week and the rest of the week I run between 3-5 miles each day. I can’t run at one pace because I’ll never get tired. I try to run to make myself tired because it helps my recovery. In boxing that’s what you need to work on, is how quick you can recover in between rounds. I actually do a lot of my running on a treadmill.’
Coast to coast…
‘ I was in L.A. with Freddie Roach for a while but it really wasn’t my pace. Even when I was at home I felt like I was always on the go. I just couldn’t get used to it. There’s no place like home. I love St. Petersburg. One of the reasons I love it here is because I was born and raised here, and I know it so well.'
Outside of the ring…
‘I actually enjoy resting. I’m always fighting and training. I’m usually fighting 3-4 times a year and I enjoy my time of rest. I’m a laid back type of fighter. I don’t smoke or drink or do any of that. Basically all my time is spent relaxing with my girl watching movies, bowling, or something else.’
If not a fighter?
‘If I wouldn’t have become a fighter I think I would be a fireman. I always wanted to be a fireman. There’s just something about helping people that I enjoy, plus there’s some action involved.’
Experience…
‘ There’s always stuff to learn as a fighter. It’s called experience. When you get to the point where you’re not learning anymore, I think it’s a problem. Some of the guys out there who are considered legends as still picking up gloves and learning something. You can always learn something.’
Love of the game…
‘Boxing is my living. It’s my life. I have to do this to provide for my family. I also have love for the sport that keeps me going. That’s enough for me.’
Closing…
‘I’m going out to please the fans. I’m out here to give the fans what they want to see. They want to see fights and I’m going to give it to them.’
On behalf of all of us at BraggingRightsCorner we wish to thank Jeff Lacy for taking the time out to visit with us. We wish the champ all the best in the future…
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© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2005
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Interview by Chris Robinson (March 5, 2005) 
