 Calzaghe is trained by father Enzo |
Joe Calzaghe said Jeff Lacy paid the price for "underestimating" him after defeating the American to unify the WBO and IBF super middleweight titles. Lacy had accused Calzaghe of lacking the punching power to trouble him but was comprehensively out-boxed by the Welshman at Manchester's MEN Arena.
"He's a world-class fighter and I won every single round," said Calzaghe.
"He came into the ring underestimating my power and not once did he hurt me, not once did he trouble me."
Calzaghe added: "I was quite surprised - I expected his punches to be harder than they were. I've been in with harder punchers."
The WBO super middleweight champion dominated the fight from start to finish, much to the delight of the 16,000 crowd.
"The only chance he had was to stand toe-to-toe," said Calzaghe, who paid tribute to his father and trainer Enzo following his stunning win.
"I showed everybody that I am a better boxer than I am a fighter.
"I was way too fast for him. I hurt my (left) hand again in the eighth round but it's not surprising.
"Seeing those punches land on his head, you are going to get sore hands."
In the build-up to the fight, Lacy derided Calzaghe as a "slapper". But after Sunday's one-sided contest, the Newbridge fighter was quick to hit back.
"Not bad for a slapper," he enthused. "I haven't boxed for six months, there's better to come from me."
Promoter Frank Warren and Lacy's trainer Dan Birmingham were both full of praise for the Welshman.
"That was the best performance I've ever seen of any British fighter in the ring in my time in boxing," Warren told BBC Radio Five Live.
"Joe jumped on him from the first moment, he took the fight out of him and beat him in every department.
"Joe showed what a true warrior he is - he has got a great heart and a great chin and I can't tell you what a fantastic performance that was.
 |  He just took him apart, he took him to school... Jeff Lacy was never in the fight |
"I always fancied Joe to win the fight and I thought it would be a much tougher fight for him, but he just didn't lose a round.
"He just took him apart, he took him to school. Jeff Lacy was never in the fight."
Birmingham was equally effusive in his praise of Calzaghe.
"Rather than dwelling on what Jeff didn't do in the ring, I'd like to dwell on what Joe did," said the American.
"He was a master of distance and timing. I've never seen a better performance, even by an American boxer, forget about Britain."
MMIX
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