06.12.06 – By Scott Frake: According to the St. Peterburg Times, Super Middleweight Jeff Lacy (22-1, 17 KO’s) suffered a torn rotator cuff to his left shoulder in his close controversial win over Vitali Tyspko on last Saturday night’s fight at the St. Pete’s forum in Tampa, Florida. The injury reportedly occurred in the 2nd round of the fight, a round that Lacy looked powerful and in control. The tear is possibly a “full thickness” tear, meaning that the injury is quite severe and will require surgery to repair it rather than rest.
In addition, Lacy’s shoulder muscles may have also been torn in the process, which will compound the shoulder problem. The injury will require up to a year to heal, and there’s no guarantee that it will ever be the same as before. If this turns out to be true, this could spell bad news for Lacy, being that his left hook is his main weapon, and without it, he’d be a gravely limited fighter.
Either way, it’s going to be tough for Lacy to regain his former glory, particularly with an injury as serious as this to recover from. In some cases, athletes are able to make a recovery from them, for example, Vitali Klitschko. However, they don’t often appear to have the same power as before with that arm. Though Lacy has excellent right hand power, it’s mainly his left hook for which he’s known for.
Last Saturday, Lacy was fought to a virtual standstill by Tyspko, who dominated the second half of the fight, landing the harder punches. Many people who saw the fight, me included, felt that Tyspko should have been awarded the decision. As of now, Tyspko is asking for a rematch, something I doubt will happen any time soon, if ever. When Lacy does come eventually come back, they’ll likely match him against weak opponents, until they’re sure that his shoulder can handle a strenuous bout against tough competition.