Lacy must avoid going on a power trip

St. Petersburg fighter has to use his jab to balance his attack, the U.S. coach says.

By JOHN ROMANO

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 21, 2000

SYDNEY, Australia -- His opponents are not the only ones wary of Jeff Lacy's punching power. It also has U.S. coach Tom Mustin a little frightened.

Power is Lacy's best asset, but it also can be his greatest enemy. Lacy, who has a second-round bout against Poland's Pawel Kakietek today, sometimes grows too dependent on his punching power and forgets to follow his game plan. He tries to land too many big blows, which leaves him vulnerable.

"We've been working through all these camps to make sure he uses his jab to set up," Mustin said. "Jeff used to be the type to walk through you with his power. At this caliber and this level, you're not just going to walk into somebody. You have to use your jab to close the distance down.

"So far, he's been listening. At the beginning of the first camp, before we even started, that's the thing I talked to him about. We've been working on it ever since, and he's been using it ever since."

Sometimes, the St. Petersburg middleweight needs reminding. His first-round victory over Brazil's Cleiton Conceicao was impressive -- the match was stopped in the third round with Lacy leading by 15 points -- but Mustin chastised him for head-hunting after the first round.

Lacy acknowledges he abandoned the jab briefly after knocking Conceicao into the ropes in the first round.

"My jab was working, but I got into the momentum and wanting to punch the guy and get him out of there," Lacy said. "It's all going to come home in time. Every punch I landed was hurting the guy. When you're a puncher, it's hard to stay focused on what you're supposed to do. And with that being my first fight, I had a little jitters."

Lacy said he was more excited than nervous before the bout. It had been nearly six months since he qualified for the Olympic team, and his eagerness had peaked.

"When I was coming into the ring, all I was thinking was, "Jeff, you worked hard for this; no one can take this away from you,' " Lacy said. "I'm here. The only thing I want to do is shine. And I'm ready to shine."

He entered the ring with a hooded robe that obscured his face, but by night's end, the rest of the middleweights knew exactly who he was. Lacy, 23, has limited experience in international competition, but he does not seem daunted by his first major tournament.

"I always knew I could compete on this level. The thing was getting here and being in shape. Once Jeff Lacy is in shape, he's a hard guy to beat," Lacy said. "I think I did a pretty good job of sending the rest of the middleweights a signal that this guy is really here for his business.

"I feel great. I feel strong. I've never felt better. I'm in the best shape of my life. I'm just ready to take the gold."

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