Jermain Taylor returned to winning ways with a comprehensive points victory over Jeff Lacy on Saturday.
Lacy outboxed in title eliminator
Jermain Taylor returned to winning ways with a comprehensive points victory over Jeff Lacy in their WBC super middleweight title eliminator on Saturday.
Taylor, coming off consecutive losses to Kelly Pavilk, won almost every round to earn a unanimous decision from the judges in Nashville.
The 30-year-old was scored the winner by margins of 119-109, 119-109 and 118-110 after using his jab to keep the powerful Lacy, whose left eye started to swell up from the fourth round onwards, largely at bay.
There were no knockdowns, although Taylor did visit the canvas in the fifth round after Lacy caught him around the back of the head with a right hand. Referee Laurence Cole, however, ruled it was not a knockdown.
"This is my announcement," said Taylor, who now boasts an overall record of 28-2-1.
"This is my comeback for being on top.
Proud
"I was in shape. I thank all of my team for getting me in shape.
"I felt great. I'm so proud of myself for working so hard. This one was a 100 percent."
It was a second career defeat for Lacy (24-2), ending a run of three wins since he lost the WBC super-middleweight title and his unbeaten record to Joe Calzaghe in March 2006.
The St Petersburg fighter was gracious in defeat, although he felt he had been denied a legitimate knockdown in the fifth.
"It was a knockdown," said Lacy, who was room mates with Taylor at the 2000 Olympics.
"He went down when I hit him. He's a good friend outside the ring. I'm not a sore loser and I have a lot of respect for Jermain Taylor."
