Boxing: Look out USA.. I'm coming over to lay into Lacy SAYS JOE CALZAGHE; Welsh champ stirs ups super-middle unification war.

Byline: David ANDERSON 

JOE CALZAGHE has sent a warning across the Atlantic to American Jeff Lacy: "I'm coming over to beat you."

Calzaghe will make his first business trip to the USA to face IBF king Lacy in an autumn super-middleweight unification fight after he blew away Mario Veit inside six rounds to retain his WBO crown for a record 16th time.

The fight is likely to take place in America and though the Welshman has been branded a reluctant traveller in the past, he claims he would have no worries about making his US debut on the back of such a devastating display in Germany.

"Bring it on," said Calzaghe. "I'm willing to step up to the plate and fight Jeff Lacy.

"I'll go to America and I have no worries about that. People say I'm afraid to go to America, but I'm not afraid and it's just that the chance has never come up before. I'm No.1 and it's all about me, not Jeff Lacy. If I fight my best fight, I will beat anybody.

"I know I can beat Lacy. He's still inexperienced. He had a tough fight against Omar Sheika and I stopped Sheika inside five rounds.

"I've come over to Germany and shown I'm back to my best. Although I know Germany is different to America, I know I would be a good traveller. I feed off the crowd and I need to be taken out of the comfort zone of home to get the best out of me.

"I feel I need that pressure and it's always been my ambition before I retire to fight for some big titles in America."

Calzaghe's promoter and manager Frank Warren claims the Lacy fight is virtually a done deal.

"There are still a few details to iron out, but the fight's made as much as I can do at this stage," said Warren.

"We don't care where the fight is and if the money is right, I'm not worried about Joe going to America."

Runcorn's IBO champion Robin Reid could upset all those plans if he pulls off a shock win over Lacy in Tampa on August 6, but Calzaghe claims he would be just as confident of beating his old rival for a second time.

"I wish Robin Reid the best of luck - I hope he wins," said the unbeaten southpaw. "He's always said he wants a rematch, even though I fought a crap fight with one hand and still beat him. If he beats Lacy, I will then beat him."

Calzaghe, 33, is right to be bullish and his demolition of Veit in front of a sparse crowd of 3,500 in Braunschweig's Volkswagenhalle was easily his best display since knocking out Byron Mitchell two years ago.

He was caught a few times by Veit in his eagerness to finish off the German, but the 38th straight win of his pro career was never in doubt from the first bell. He won the first four rounds before he floored Veit at the end of the fifth - and finishing him of in the next round.

Calzaghe, who picked up his biggest purse of pounds 600,000, believes he has silenced his critics who questioned him because of his personal problems and his unconvincing win over Kabary Salem in his last fight.

"I've made a statement," he said."This shows I'm still hungry."

CAPTION(S):

VEIT ON TARGET: Joe Calzaghe looked back to his best in Germany; LACY: The IBF champion