[victorygallop]

Here thirteen of SecondsOut's staff bravely select the winner of this weekend's mouth-watering collision of unbeaten super-middleweight champions. But who have Team SecondsOut tipped to emerge victorious in the early hours of Sunday morning, GMT, in Manchester, England? The southpaw speed of the experienced Joe Calzaghe, or the raw, frightening power of Jeff Lacy?

"Joe Calzaghe is an outstanding talent - but this fight has come two years too late for him. Physically, Calzaghe still has the tools to win but psychologically I think Lacy has him at a disadvantage. The endless injuries, the pull-outs, years of dream fights getting snatched away, the very public divorce which robbed him of much of his earnings... he's had to contend with a lot. Meanwhile, Lacy, improving with every fight, is frighteningly focused and has never entertained a moment's self-doubt. Lacy on a late stoppage or close points victory." - Ant Evans (Editor)

"I really like Joe Calzaghe. He's done all the things necessary during his long stint as world champion, with the obvious exception of fighting someone like Jeff Lacy. But he's been a credit to the game and an inspiration for young British boxers. Which is why I hate writing the following. He'll dominate the early rounds against Jeff Lacy, before being stopped around the 10th, as youth prevails over experience and brittle hands." - Sanjeev Shetty (British correspondent)

"Call me crazy, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this fight will turn into the 2006 reincarnation of Tyson/Spinks. Calzaghe, like Spinks, is going through a period of relative inactivity. Spinks and Calzaghe were both fighters more on the downside of their respective careers facing young, powerful, knockout virtuosos. Tyson needed Spinks to unify the heavyweight division, while Lacy needs Calzaghe to make a legitimate claim as the top Super-Middleweight in the world. Lacy KO2" - Evan Korn (New York Correspondent)

"Calzaghe breaks his hand in the 2nd - Lacy breaks his face in the 3rd!" - Rish ap Wiliam (Chief Technical Officer)

"This is a tough fight to call. Will the improving, fresher Jeff Lacy prevail against the more experienced Joe Calzaghe? I believe Lacy will nick it in the closest of fights." - Clive Bernath (Editor in Chief)

"Lacy by close, but thoroughly deserved decision; too sharp, too hungry, too aggressive. Right place, right time for the IBF champion." - Mark G. Butcher (Founding Editor)

"It is speed against strength, a very hard to pick intriguing match up. Joe will secure an early lead and school Lacy. Down the stretch, the American will get in close range and will do some damage. Calzaghe by a close but well deserved decision." - Juan Pablo Manfredi (Argentinean Correspondent)

"Lacy is too young and strong for any 168 pounder right now. At 28 years of age, he is at or near his peak. After giving Lacy a fight for four or five rounds, Calzaghe will begin to wilt under Lacy's pressure and punch. Lacy in ten after a great fight." - Jerry Glick (New York Correspondent)

"I think both guys possess power as demonstrated by their KO ratios. But I like Lacy to withstand what Calzaghe throws at him. I'm not sure that Lacy can KO Calzaghe, but I believe he can stun him. I like Lacy by decision." - Tim Smith (Special Feature Writer)

"Lacy by knockout. Calzaghe is well past his prime." - Thomas Hauser (Lead Feature Writer)

"Are there overtones of Davey Moore vs. Roberto Duran about this Lacy vs. Calzaghe tilt? OK, so sometimes you have to stretch for even a symbolic point of comparison. If we judge the fight on skill and experience vs. desire and physicality then we get one result, a result where Calzaghe plays the role of Duran, on his birthday, 1983. If we think of just how well Calzaghe will have to be technically and emotionally to hold off the determined challenge of Lacy, we might get another result. The result I am looking for will be earned by the guy contesting the better fight round after round; may fate please spare us flukes or fouls! When I look at who's the better guy right now - March of 2006 - it looks, to me, like Jeff Lacy." -Patrick Kehoe (Contributing Editor)

"Lacy is still developing as a fighter, and Calzaghe has the tools to give him fits if he uses them right. But what might be the overriding theme of this fight is that Calzaghe appears to be psychologically spent as a professional fighter. With setbacks inside the ring and personal problems outside of it, his enthusiasm for the game appears to be waning. In terms of motivation and momentum, then, Lacy has the clear edge, and I see him earning a KO or TKO win sometime in the middle rounds." - Matthew Wells (Feature Writer)

"Joe Calzaghe has been a good super middleweight world champion for a long time, but he has left it too late in his career to step up a level. Jeff Lacy is the future and he is only going to get better under trainer Dan Birmingham, who is one of the sport's most underrated. Lacy's work with Birmingham, and Winky Wright, who Dan also trains, is going to see Lacy even better for this fight. I don't think the 2am start will affect Lacy, he is the younger of the two. Lacy wants to really prove himself, hence him willing to travel to the UK for this fight. He is younger, stronger and hits harder than Lacy. Calzaghe's history of hand problems could also work against him. In a thrilling fight while it lasts, Lacy will win by stoppage. Lacy KO4." - Paul Upham (Contributing Editor)