Road warrior Reid likes chances against Lacy
Super middleweight challenger twice has defeated champions in their home country.
By IZZY GOULD
Published August 6, 2005
TAMPA - Poor hospitality won't ignite the "Grim Reaper" into a punching frenzy.
England's Robin Reid insists 12 years of professional boxing has taught him to ignore the shenanigans from Jeff Lacy's camp leading to tonight's IBF super middleweight championship.
Reid seized every opportunity this week to trash host promoter Gary Shaw. His complaints: No greeting at the airport. No training room. No training equipment. No food money. No hotel room.
Shaw mocked Reid's griping Thursday at a prefight news conference. He presented the challenger with a T-shirt that said, "I visited the United States and all I got was knocked out by Jeff Lacy."
Reid smiled and laughed but was not amused.
"That's one last nail in his coffin," Reid said. "You talk about respect. All I've done is have admiration and respect for Jeff Lacy. ... If that was my people I'd say, "Leave it. There's no need for things like that.' "
Reid (38-4-1) has plenty of motivation to fight Lacy (19-0) in his backyard.
The 1992 Olympic bronze medalist is a veteran of road title fights since turning pro in 1993.
He won his first title in 1996 at age 25 when he went to Milan, Italy, and claimed the WBC super middleweight championship with a seventh-round knockout of Vincenzo Nardiello. He defended the belt successfully three times before Thulane Malinga took it away in 1997.
Reid holds the IBO super middleweight title he won last year in a unanimous decision against Brian Magee, but has fought just twice in two years.
Three of Reid's four professional losses were in title fights, though he twice won championships on foreign soil.
The Runcorn, England native believes those experiences are an advantage against Lacy.
But why fight him here?
"That's a sign of a great champion to travel abroad to be in a person's country," Reid said. "That doesn't faze me fighting in another person's country."
Reid has studied Lacy's fights and said he found weaknesses he plans to expose. The 34-year-old insists he is in the best shape of his life and never trained harder for a fight.
"In all the years that I have trained him, I've never seen Robin train so hard," said Reid's trainer, Brian Hughes.
Revenge also has been a motivator.
Reid is haunted by two controversial losses in title fights, including a failed bid in 1999 for the WBO super middleweight championship against Joe Calzaghe. The other was a 2003 loss to Sven Ottke for the WBA and IBF super middleweight belts.
Reid has longed for a rematch against Calzaghe and believes a win against Lacy is his best chance to earn one.
"I fought him and took the fight under the belief I could beat him," Reid said. "I'd say 99 percent of the people back in Britain thought I won the (Calzaghe) fight. I didn't get the decision."
Reid, who has 27 knockouts to his credit, doesn't believe he has to drop Lacy for a victory. He feels a solid 12 rounds can sway the judges to crown him winner.
One way or another, Reid is convinced he will win the fight.
"All I'm saying is I'm going to to be the first to beat Jeff Lacy" Reid said. "End of story.
Contact Izzy Gould at 352 521-6517 or igould@sptimes.com