Boxing

Lacy wants Tarver, but it isn't mutual

By JOHN C. COTEY
Published November 7, 2005

STATELINE, Nev. - Jeff Lacy wasted little time after disposing of Scott Pemberton in two savage rounds Saturday, looking right into the Showtime cameras and telling Antonio Tarver he was next.

He even stole Tarver's now famous line from his second fight with Roy Jones, asking what Tarver's excuse for not fighting him was.

Tarver, though, has repeatedly rejected the idea, which has been floated for months, by listing a number of reasons.

Namely, "Who has Lacy beat to deserve a fight with me?"

Saturday night, at the postfight news conference during which no questions were asked about what happened in the ring - TKO in the second round of the 12-round IBF and IBO super-middleweight title fight - but dozens were asked about the future, Lacy had an answer.

"He's only in the position he's in because Roy Jones Jr. gave him an opportunity," he said. "If Roy Jones didn't give him the opportunity, who would know Antonio Tarver? Before Roy Jones, who did Antonio Tarver fight?"

And so began unofficial negotiations for a fight Lacy desperately wants and Tarver doesn't. Lacy has built some serious buzz in boxing as the next big thing, so his pursuit of Tarver will burn up message boards on boxing Web sites.

If made, it would be one of the biggest in the sport and shine a spotlight on Tampa Bay, matching the St. Petersburg-born Lacy (21-0, 17 knockouts) against Tarver (24-3, 18 KOs), who has lived in Tampa since turning pro.

Promoter Gary Shaw said he'd try to bring the fight to Tampa, where a combined 39,000 fans saw Lacy beat Robin Reid in August and Tarver beat Jones in October.

"Can you imagine that in the St. Pete Times Forum?" he said. "Come on. It would be a sellout. I might have to try a bigger venue."

Lacy's desire to fight Tarver is twofold: He thinks Tarver is arrogant and disrespectful and doesn't care much for him personally, and the fight would make both a lot of money.

When Tarver beat Jones in their third meeting, Lacy called Shaw from his seat at the Times Forum in Tampa with three words:

"Make the fight."

Tarver has said the money and interest won't be there, but Shaw is willing to do just about anything to make it so.

"We'll take short money," he said. "You can write it."

Tarver said it would be career suicide for Lacy. So why, asks Lacy, avoid it?

"If I thought a fighter wasn't on my level and he was calling me out, I will give him the fight," Lacy, 28, said. "If I felt it was an easy fight, and I could take a couple of million dollars and walk away, I would take the fight. I wouldn't run away or run to another weight class. If you think it's an easy fight, take the fight."

Tarver, though, is eyeing a move to heavyweight. He seems focused on talking 39-year-old Mike Tyson into the ring, though many question the wisdom of making the jump two weight classes.

Even Lamon Brewster, the WBO heavyweight champ and a friend of Tarver's, said he'd recommend the light heavyweight champion, who turns 37 on Nov. 21, stay away.

"Trust me, the first legitimate heavyweight he fights will knock him cold," Shaw said. "He has a choice: He can get knocked cold by a heavyweight, or he can get knocked cold at 175 pounds by Jeff."

Shaw said Glen Johnson is another possibility, but he will talk with Joe DeGuardia, Tarver's promoter, today, as well as Frank Warren, the promoter for WBO super-middleweight champ Joe Calzaghe. Though a hand injury prevented Calzaghe from meeting Lacy on Saturday as originally scheduled, Shaw said Warren has been in constant contact with him and is eager to remake the fight for Feb.4.

Ultimately, it will be up to Lacy to decide if he wants to travel overseas since Calzaghe is unwilling to come to America.

But the decision for the bigger, more desirable fight rests with Tarver.

[Last modified November 7, 2005, 01:10:19]