Omar Sheika Looking to Test Jeff Lacy
by
Julius Stecker
11/26 -
Omar Sheika, 26-7, has been giving fight fans excitement since he entered the ring back in 1997. Consistently, Sheika has been the most exciting fighter in the super middleweight division. Who could
forget his two wars against Scott Pemberton, or who
could fail to remember his crushing knockout of
Stephane Ouellet? He was the staple of USA Network’s
Tuesday Night Fights and also ESPN2’s Friday Night
fights shows.
On December 4th, he will be taking on perhaps boxing’s best young fighter, when he steps in the ring against IBF super middleweight champion, Jeff
“Left Hook” Lacy, 17-0, at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and
Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada to be carried live by
Showtime Championship Boxing. TalkingBoxing.com caught up with Sheika to get his take on the upcoming potential fight of the
year.
“Basically we are both strong fighters, but I am going
to test him. Nobody has ever really cracked him. And
I am going to go in there and I am going to crack him.
I have to make sure to push him and hit him,” said
Sheika.
Sheika has fought a who’s who list of Super
Middleweight champions, former champions, and
contenders. He has been in the ring against the likes
of Glen Johnson, Joe Calzaghe, Eric Lucas, Scott
Pemberton, and Thomas Tate. In each of those fights
has given nothing less then his all, and in the
process he has become one of the most popular TV
fighters of the past 10 years.
Sheika can be seen on page 34 of the recent ESPN The
Magazine, with his good friend. New York Knicks;
Small Forward Tim Thomas. The article describes how
Sheika helps Thomas with his training regimen, which
includes a boxing work out.
“We have a good
relationship. We went to high school together, and we
have stayed in touch. He has always liked boxing, and
he has a good right hook. A lot of people from
basketball and other sports, are coming to realize how
boxing gets you in great shape,” explained Sheika.
If Omar is victorious one of his goals is to bring
excitement and more discussion back to the
Super-Middleweight division.
“I definitely want to
unify, I want to bring excitement back to this
division. But as of right now, this is the only fight
I am concerned about.”
December 4th on Showtime has the potential to be a very explosive night
of prize fighting and Sheika said this in closing,
“Expect a new champ, and a new star. I am going to be
make some noise.”
Discuss this at our Boxing Forum
