Joe Calzaghe
Joe Calzaghe | |
|---|---|
| File:Calzaghe.jpg | |
| Born | Joseph Calzaghe 23 March, 1972 |
| Nationality |  Welsh |
| Other names | The Pride of Wales; The Italian Dragon |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Super middleweight |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 41 |
| Wins | 41 |
| Wins by KO | 31 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 0 |
Joseph "Joe" Calzaghe (born 23 March, 1972 in Hammersmith, London) is a British boxer of half Italian and half Welsh descent, based in Wales who is one of the pound for pound top 10 boxers in the world according to the Ring Magazine.[1]
He is sometimes referred to as the "Italian Dragon" as a nod to his mixed heritage (the dragon being a Welsh emblem), or the "Pride of Wales". He is the current WBO and IBF super middleweight world champion.
Joe's father and trainer Enzo was born in Sardinia but spent many years living in England. When Calzaghe was two years old the family moved to South Wales, from where Calzaghe's mother hailed.
Early Years & Amateur Career
Encouraged by his father, Joe was a promising footballer and boxer, first putting on gloves at Newbridge Boxing Club at the age of nine. Calzaghe has stated that he was bullied as a child and teenager, which may have affected his boxing style where he relies upon physical prominence and confidence. He attended Oakdale Comprehensive School near his home town of Newbridge between 1983 and 1988.
After winning British schoolboy titles, Calzaghe went on to win three consecutive British ABA titles (1991-1993) at welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight divisions.
Joe became only the second boxer in history to achieve such a feat, the first being Fred Webster in 1926-1928 who won at bantam, feather and lightweight. Only one boxer took Calzaghe to the full nine minutes of a bout during this time. In one of his two losses, his opponent's father was the referee.
Professional Career
In September 1993 Calzaghe was signed up to the Terry Lawless and Mickey Duff stable and made his professional debut at Cardiff Arms Park on the Lewis-Bruno bill the following month.
He created enough of an impression for one journalist to remark: "...those punters who took their seats an hour or so before the big fight might one day make the boast in a slightly different context I was there when Joe Calzaghe made his professional debut!." (South Wales Echo)
By June 1995, Calzaghe had won nine out of nine fights, seven in the first round and two in the second. At the end of 1995 Calzaghe was voted Young Boxer of the Year by the Professional Boxing Association and the Boxing Writers' Club.
He became Barry McGuigan's top tip for 1996 with the following quote: "He punches ferociously, moves superbly and has the best of the European technique and US aggression".
By October 1995, he had won the British Championship, stopping Steve Wilson in the eighth round.
Calzaghe's critics said that he had not really been tested. His reply was that he could only beat whoever was out there and prepared to fight him. A five round bludgeoning of the experienced and respected Mark Delaney in April 1996 started to change opinions.
In November 1996, Calzaghe moved to Frank Warren's stable. Warren, who had managed Nigel Benn for his first 20 fights, declared: "Joe Calzaghe is a far better prospect, in fact he is my fighter for the new millennium."
Calzaghe spent the summer of 1997 chasing a fight with either Robin Reid or Steve Collins (WBC and WBO champions respectively).
The fight with Steve Collins was arranged, but at a late stage Collins withdrew because of injury, was stripped of his title, and then retired.
WBO Super Middleweight Champion
A fight against the recently deposed champion Chris Eubank was set up for the vacant WBO world crown for 11 October, 1997, in Sheffield, which ended with a decisive win for Calzaghe.
In 1998 he defended his title against Branco Sobot (winning by technical knockout in 3 rounds) and then the durable Juan Carlos Gimenez (TKO in 9 rounds), a nemesis of both Nigel Benn and Eubank.
In 1999, Calzaghe started out by fighting what would be his toughest challenge thus far in his career, a slick counterpuncher by the name of Robin Reid. After 12 rounds, the judges scored the fight for Calzaghe via a split decision. This fight's decision has been deemed controversial by some and Reid was never given the opportunity of a rematch. After that slight blemish on Calzaghe's record, he finished the year with another points win against Rick Thornberry followed early the next year with another points decision against David Starie.
The wins against the highly rated Omar Sheika (a five round stoppage) and former WBC champion and close friend Richie Woodhall were followed by a first round win over Mario Veit (1 minute 55 seconds) and an equally decisive win against Will Mcintyre on the Tyson undercard in Copenhagen.
After facing tough competition against Bryon Mitchell and Karbary Salem, both of whom scored knockdowns again Calzaghe, he beat Veit, in a rematch that ended in a technical knockout in the sixth round.
On 10 September, 2005, Calzaghe fought the Kenyan boxer, Evans Ashira and won by a unanimous decision despite breaking his left hand in the third round. Calzaghe fought on one-handed winning 120-108, 120-108, 120-107.
His scheduled bout with IBF world champion Jeff Lacy for November 5, 2005 was initially cancelled due to the break sustained to the metacarpal in his left hand.
His promoter, Frank Warren, successfully rescheduled it for 5 March, 2006, and the match was won by a very wide unanimous points decision over Lacy (119-105, 119-107, 119-107), who was the pre-fight favourite with the bookmakers, gaining Calzaghe the IBF title. Calzaghe had a point deducted in the 11th for holding and turning Lacy, meaning the American did not win a single round on a single card. In fact, Calzaghe has won convincingly on every judge's card since his 1999 bout with Robin Reid. Indeed an interesting question posited by the result of the Lacy fight is "has a pre fight favourite ever lost every round on all judges' cards in a bout before"?
Calzaghe was tentatively scheduled to fight former IBO and current IBA Light Heavyweight champion Glencoffe Johnson in the featured bout of a July 8th card at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, but he was forced to withdraw from the fight when he reaggravated the hand injury sustained in his bout with Ashira. Because of this and previous similar occurences when he has pulled out of bouts due to injury, Calzaghe is arguably developing a reputation as an unreliable addition to any fight card.
Rumored possibilities for the Calzaghe's Fall return fight are WBC Super-Middleweight Champion Markus Beyer and WBA Super-Middleweight Champion Mikkel Kessler.