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Lacy Eyeing Bout With Former Olympic Teammate Taylor

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By EDDIE DANIELS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 3, 2008

Updated: 06/03/2008 12:33 am

TAMPA - Back in 2000, as Jeff Lacy prepared for the Olympics in Sydney, Australia, he had a keen sight for the future.

He leaned over to U.S. Olympic teammate Jermain Taylor and offered: "You know, there's going to be talk about you and me fighting one day in the professionals, you know that, right?"

Taylor said he figured as much and the two laughed it off.

"It was just something we basically woke up to, like, 'Oh man,'" Lacy said.

It looks like the two will bring that conversation to fruition at the end of the year. Lacy (23-1, 17 KOs) is eyeing a July tune-up fight in hopes it will lead to a year-end clash against Taylor (27-2-1, 17 KOs).

"There's a fight that's in the works for me and Jermain Taylor toward the end of the year," Lacy said. "So I was basically telling Golden Boy I would love to have a tune-up fight before that fight happens. I'd be interested in taking that fight with Jermain Taylor at the end of the year, but if we can't get a pretty good tune-up fight before that, it will be sometime next year he and I will square off.

"If we get this fight here at the end of the July, it's most likely me and Jermain will be fighting at the end of the year."

Lacy was scheduled to be on the undercard of the Shane Mosley-Zab Judah fight on May 31 in Las Vegas, but an accidental fall by Judah led to 50 stitches in his right forearm, postponing the bout. As far as the July opponent, no fighter has been selected, but whoever it is will be charged with giving Lacy quality rounds to shake off his "ring rust."

Lacy last fought in December, a 10-round unanimous-decision victory against Peter Manfredo Jr. It was his first bout in a year after recovering from surgery to his left shoulder, injured in the second round of his December 2006 fight against Vitali Tsypko.

In the interim, Lacy will be seen in the ring - on the big screen - during his cameo appearance in the Adam Carolla flick "The Hammer."

Lacy plays the role of boxer Malice Blake in the film, which is loosely based on Carolla's life as an amateur boxer-turned-carpenter, and he has a scene in the ring with Carolla.

"It's not a real big part in the movie, but man, I give actors and actresses a lot of credit," Lacy said. "It's a lot of hurry up and wait, a lot of different camera angles and footage. Being that we were in action shots, me and Adam sparring in the gym, it was a lot of work. I kid you not, I was tired just doing it, but I give a lot of credit to the actors and actresses."

The movie, which had a limited release, will premiere in Tampa on Friday at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. at Muvico Centro Ybor as a fundraising event for the Red Cross.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students.

"I thought it would be nice to let it be a fundraiser for the Red Cross, given what's going on in China and Myanmar," said Greg Firestone, an executive producer of the film. "I thought ... there would be a lot of interest in seeing Jeff in a movie. It just seemed like why not bring it to Tampa."

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