I'VE heard a lot of rubbish spoken in my time in boxing, much of it hype to promote a fight, but rarely have I heard such a load of garbage as that spouted by Jeff Lacy's camp this week.

'They never planned on fighting Jeff Lacy', 'Joe Calzaghe wanted a way out' and 'Jeff Lacy is now considered the 168lb king' are among the most ridiculous statements to follow me breaking my hand against Evans Ashira.

All have come from the mouth of IBF super-middleweight champion Lacy's promoter Gary Shaw, who obviously doesn't believe in engaging his brain before opening his mouth.

Shaw has also criticised me for taking the fight against Ashira and risking the unification fight which was scheduled for November and of ducking the top men during my career.

And finally, he says 'you will not see Jeff Lacy in England' now and that I will have to fight Lacy in America when it is rearranged.

In reality, I don't really feel like replying because the accusations are so ridiculous and so disrespectful and because I have answered most of them before.

But just for the record, I'll repeat:

1, Lacy was offered a September date to fight me if he pulled out of his August defence against Robin Reid. Shaw declined and said the Reid fight would go ahead. If he was not prepared to cancel that fight to meet me why should I postpone my fight to wait for him?

2, Why would I want to duck Lacy? I've been trying to unify the division for years and other champions have ducked me. And I've fought much better fighters than Lacy and thumped them. In fact, two of his title defences have been against boxers I've already beaten (Omar Sheika and Robin Reid).

3, Lacy the number one in the super-middleweight division - don't make me laugh. He's the new kid on the block. I'm the longest reigning world champion, making 17 successful defences in eight years.

Yes, it's true I did say in one of my previous columns in the Argus that I usually suffered hand problems, swellings and bruisings, after my fights, but to suggest I wanted to suffer a break to avoid the Lacy fight or I that I was faking the injury is to show a complete lack of respect or understanding.

I was merely being honest and pointing out the problems that can arise because everyone was assuming the November date was cut and dried.

The injury is real alright as x-rays have shown. I've broken the metarcarpal bone in the area of the middle knuckle of my left hand.

I'm in a semi-plaster cast which leaves the fingers free and have been told to keep the hand elevated at all times and to try to move my fingers as much as possible, but it's agony to do so.

Nevertheless the specialist says it is a clean break which should heal itself.

I don't need any pins in it or anything complicated like that and I'm expecting it to heal in a few weeks and to be back on the punchbag sometime in November.

That means, if all goes well, I should make the proposed rearranged date for the Lacy fight in February and meanwhile, in a week or two, I will resume running and other work to tick over and will have physiotherapy on my left arm to keep it strong.

Make no mistake, I want the Lacy fight now more than ever both to prove to all my fans what they already know, that I'm the best, and to shut Shaw's mouth once and for all.

I'm devastated with the injury and to fight eight rounds against Ashira with one hand and win easily proves, if proof were needed, both my skill and my heart.

And as for me going to America for the contest, well the agreement is that Lacy should fight me over here so we'll see if he honours that agreement or if he ducks out.

I'm the man in the super-middleweight division and Lacy needs me more than I need him and I'm certainly not going jump just because he clicks his fingers.

I know and he knows I will beat him badly when the fight does go ahead and after what has happened in the past five days I can't wait to prove that.