From the opening rounds it was evident that Calzaghe was unfazed by the sheer physical presence and vaunted punching power that Lacy brings with him. Calzaghe controlled things from the outside with combinations that jarred the Tampa, Florida native’s chin all night long. Surprisingly, Calzaghe held his own on the inside as well while also showing great defense as he slipped nearly all of Lacy’s big power shots.

As the fight wore on Calzaghe become more and more dominant, bullying Lacy around the ring and busting his face up down the stretch. Lacy was exhausted and worn out from Calzaghe’s smothering attack and pinpoint combinations. It was simply too much for a young fighter like Lacy to handle and he was beaten in every aspect of the game. Calzaghe rocked and hurt Lacy along the ropes in the eleventh and dropped him to the canvas a round later, putting a dramatic exclamation point on what has to be looked at as his finest win as a professional.

As Lacy’s promoter Gary Shaw said himself, this was a bitter pill for Team Lacy to swallow but there still is hope and possibly a future for the young, ex-champion. Lacy was battered all night long but never once did he show the signs of wanting to quit and his chin held up under the storm of Calzaghe’s best shots. Lacy showed great heart and the will to win, he just lost to the better man tonight and there is no shame in that. We will now get to truly see what Jeff is made of, as he will either become a frontrunner in the sport or show us the resiliency that it takes to get back to the top. Only time will tell with him.

For Calzaghe the future looks to be bright. Match ups with the best Super Middleweights and top Light Heavyweights are within his grasp and the ultimate prize, a showdown with brash Antonio Tarver, would be a treat for all fans to see. Regardless of where his career goes from here, Joe Calzaghe has arrived and his mark has been made.