NEW YORK -- For Jeff Lacy, a unification bout with Joe Calzaghe is something he's been looking forward to since he won the International Boxing Federation super middleweight title last year.
For Calzaghe, who's defended his World Boxing Organization title 17 times, a fight with Lacy is simply "career-defining."
The two champions announced Tuesday that they will meet March 4 in Manchester, England, in a bout that will begin around 2 a.m. -- so it can be televised to the U.S. East Coast at 9 p.m. -- and feature fighters with a combined record of 61-0 with 38 knockouts.
"Joe is a great champion. I have a lot of respect for him," said Lacy (21-0 with seven knockouts), a 2000 U.S. Olympian who has defended his title four times. "That's why I wanted this fight so bad, because I have a lot of respect for him and I considered him, up until me winning the world title, one of the best champions in the division. And I want to fight the best."
The 28-year-old Lacy certainly hasn't been shy about his desire to fight the left-handed Welshman. After defending his title with a technical knockout over Robin Reid in August, Lacy said "I'm coming for you, Joe."
The news conference at a Manhattan steakhouse to announce the fight was unusually sedate by boxing standards, however. Both fighters were very complimentary of each other, though both naturally predicted victory for themselves.
"Jeff is on the way up. You can't say that he's a champion that's on the fade," Calzaghe said. "He's made some excellent defenses, he's a big puncher, a good all-around fighter."
The 32-year-old Calzaghe (40-0 with 31 knockouts) is the longest reigning world champion in boxing, having won the title in 1997.
"He hasn't, obviously, fought anyone in my league," said Calzaghe, who also acknowledged being unimpressive in some victories over lesser challengers. "That's the big thing. I'm way above some of the opposition he's fought."
The much-anticipated matchup was originally scheduled for Nov. 5 in Wales. However, Calzaghe injured his left hand in a victory over Evans Ashira in September, and was forced to pull out of the scheduled fight with Lacy. The IBF champion instead took on former sparring partner Scott Pemberton, whom he stopped in the second round.
Now he believes he's more than ready for Calzaghe.
"This is a fight I'm taking very seriously and there's going to be fireworks on March 4," Lacy said. "I'm going over there to do my thing. I won't be denied."
The fight in March promises to be an event. With the location, a pro-Calzaghe crowd is likely - though that didn't seem to faze Lacy.
"I like being the underdog and I like to hear the crowd boo," Lacy said. "By the end of the fight they'll be cheering for me saying, 'That was a great fight."'
Calzaghe isn't putting much stock in the fight's locale, either.
"At the end of the day," he said, "it's just a ring."
