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I watched Joe Calzaghe from ringside, I witnessed what made him one of the best of all time
Joe Calzaghe turns 53 today.
I’ll wager there will be no showy or ostentatious announcements. No ducking in and out of private jets holding wads of cash while threatening to do this or to do that. He will more than likely enjoy his day with his family in his own easy-going way, out of the limelight.
It was so good to see Calzaghe and American great Andre Ward having fun in a Welsh gym last week. Two unbeaten champions hamming it up for the cameras. A lot of smiles and a ton of obvious mutual respect.
However social media can be a brutal place, and it wasn’t long before the trolls – from both sides of the Atlantic - were in the comments spouting their nonsense.
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He fought B-List fighters for too long.
He didn’t punch correctly.
He was a flat track bully.
Valued his ‘0’ too much.
Why did he wait so long for a unification fight?
There are an awful lot of people – especially online - who prefer to throw shade towards boxers like Calzaghe rather than praise them.
Yet, when looking back on all he achieved in his Hall-of-Fame career and – just as importantly - the way he went about his business, one wonders what the real motive behind such unabashed vitriol and/or negativity might be?
Now we do not want to come over all Sigmund Freud at this point. However, Freud was a prominent figure in psychoanalysis, and proposed that aggression is a fundamental human drive, akin to basic physiological needs such as hunger and thirst. So there’s that.
And I’d like to think that the Welshman, who basically completed pro boxing, would swerve the online barbs in much the same way he avoided a Bernard Hopkins right hook or a Chris Eubank jab.
The facts speak for themselves.
A pro between 1993 and 2008, he never lost in 46 pro fights (with 32 early wins). He is the longest reigning super-middleweight world champion in boxing history and after nearly a decade of defending his WBO belt he eventually became unified and lineal champion at 168.
That would have been a fine ending in itself. Instead, he went up to 175 and beat two legendary Americans in Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.
A swarming puncher in his early days, Calzaghe adapted his game due to persistent hand trouble. He was one of the fastest, most fluid and adaptable fighters the sport has ever seen.
OK, during his title reign there were some opponents who were clearly not in his league, but that is just the nature of the fight game, and not necessarily on Calzaghe.
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Sugar Ray Leonard for example is rightly regarded as an all-time great, but boxed the 22-3 Larry Bonds in his next fight right after humbling Roberto Duran in ‘No Mas’ in 1980.
In a 15-year pro career only Robin Reid and Hopkins gave him close fights. The win everyone talks about is his 2006 humbling of unbeaten – and highly regarded – IBF super-middleweight champion Jeff Lacy (a fight screened live on terrestrial TV in the UK).
However probably his best performance came three fights later against another unbeaten champion in Mikkel Kessler.
The Kessler display was absolutely top drawer. I watched that fight from ringside and the way Joe made nuanced changes mid-fight and began to take over from round seven against an established champion at his peak was pretty remarkable.
It would have been great if Calzaghe and ‘Son of God’ Ward’s careers intersected but as Ward was on the way up Calzaghe – a pro since 1993 – was on the way out.
Calzaghe walked away for good in 2008 and is one of that rare breed of champions who left on his own terms and – crucially - stayed away.
I have always admired Calzaghe. Indeed, I have a framed photo from an after-dinner show in Leeds many years ago of him and Richie Woodall propping me up (the Yorkshire puddings were particularly strong that night as I recall).
However, my respect has grown over the years due to the fact he has been able to keep his ego in check and stay away.
Turki Alalshikh confirmed that he tried to make Calzaghe vs Carl Froch happen in 2024, but the Welshman said no. You have to respect Turki for trying to get a fantasy fight over the line for the fans, but Calzaghe too for putting his legacy ahead of his bank balance.
Saudi cash has been an absolute game-changer in getting the big fights made over the last few years but undeniably it also makes it even tougher for a retired boxer to resist temptation and have ‘Uno Mas’ for massive money.
So Happy Birthday Mr Calzaghe, wherever you are. UK boxing may not see the likes of you again.
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