Tris Dixon

Oh how the mighty have fallen?

The sad things is, if Roy Jones Jnr does a number on Jeff Lacy he will a) think it means something and b) think he’s still got it.

He is wrong on both counts. Lacy is shot (was shot by Joe Calzaghe) and though he has never been sopped he is ripe for the picking.

He is sluggish, one-dimensional and easy to hit.

He’s been involved in wars with fighters he would have wiped out in his prime since that incredible night in Manchester.

Jones is a shadow of the fighter he was in his prime but he is quick, still has fast hands and enough knowhow not to stand in front of Lacy, who has the power to hurt Jones.

But it comes to something when you have to get into a Captain Hook outfit to publicise the fight, as Jones has.

The one ‘hook’ he could find to hype the fight was that Lacy’s nickname is ‘Left Hook’ and Roy – being Roy – claims his hook is the better weapon.

Whatever, Jones should win on points but if he stops Lacy, who has a tendency to swell around the yes and cut, late on, I would not be surprised.

Daniel Herbert

Both are past their best and Joe Calzaghe showed that Lacy’s best was never that good to begin with. So while Jones has not beaten a top class opponent in years, he should have enough speed and movement left to see off Lacy.

The one danger is that the 40-year-old gets old overnight and succumbs to a big left hook. But the pick is for Roy to survive a couple of scares to win on points.

Danny Flexen

He’s a clever boy Roy. Having faded fast from what was admittedly a superlative performance level, the Floridian has mastered the art of now facing opponents that have ‘name’ value and are just about good enough for the fight to sell, even if, as is the case with his match against Jeff Lacy, you have to dress up like a children's entertainer to ensure a good gate. Wins in the last few years over Anthony Hanshaw and Prince Badi Ajamu (both untested at top level), plus blown-up fighters blighted by inactivity in Felix Trinidad and Omar Sheika suggest Roy is aware of his own status in today’s boxing world. Lacy has not been inactive but he is coming up from super-middle and hasn't posted a convincing victory since before the last World Cup.

Both are talking a good game in the build-up, as befits any smart co-promoters and as some have said, two washed-up fighters could make for a

competitive fight. I just don't see it. Jones, even this shadow of the legend that was, is still too smart, too nimble and too fast for an opponent who has long since been exposed as a plodder, albeit a strong, powerful one.

The real question here is whether Jones can become the first man to stop Lacy. As March’s early finish against Sheika was Jones' first stoppage in over six years - he still hits sharply but is more cautious these days and throws less - and as Lacy stood up manfully to the 12-round beating from Joe Calzaghe that effectively ruined him, I think Jones wins widely on points. It proves nothing.

Nick Bond

I really think Roy Jones should retire before he suffers another bad stoppage loss. However, I don’t see Lacy being the man to do it – he’s not been the same since Joe Calzaghe outclassed him a few years back.

Lacy’s light years behind a peak Jones but how far behind a 40-year-old Jones remains to be seen. He’ll be game and continue to come forward – almost predictably. Jones should outpoint him on intelligence and speed alone.

For Claude’s full preview, see this week’s magazine