Joe Calzaghe isn’t your typical British fighter
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He’s not particularly distinguished, doesn’t mind swearing and won’t shrink like a wallflower when attacked verbally.
Joe Calzaghe, the unbeaten pride of Wales who will fight Roy Jones Jr. on Saturday in an HBO pay-per-view light-heavyweight bout, has restored the reputation of British fighters.
In the wake of Lennox Lewis’ lack of charisma, Prince Nasseem Hamed’s over-hyped abilities, and legacy-challenging losses by Barry McGuigan and Lloyd Honeyghan to U.S. boxers, Calzaghe, 36, brings attitude, toughness and an unbeaten record from across the pond.
Calzaghe (45-0, 32 knockouts) has played to rock-star-like crowds overseas against American fighters Peter Manfredo Jr. and Jeff Lacy. And his introduction to the U.S. boxing media came last year in Las Vegas when Bernard Hopkins startled reporters by shouting that he’d ‘never lose to a white man.’
I saw the end of the confrontation, and was surprised to see Calzaghe barking back.
Minutes later he told me he would ‘kill’ Hopkins. Months later at a news conference in Los Angeles, Calzaghe again answered Hopkins’ taunts with his own responses. And, frankly,
his trash talk was more impressive.
Then, in April, he proceeded to beat Hopkins in a split-decision.
‘I’m strong-willed,’ said Calzaghe, the subject of a Los Angeles Times report from Newbridge, Wales, earlier this year.
A lot of boxing is psychology, and I’ve worked on that. As a kid fighter, I used to mouth off a lot. As you get older, you do it less, but it can still be done to show how confident you are. I didn’t mind talking to Bernard. I think, honestly, that he psyched himself out because he realized he couldn’t get under my skin.
Is he breaking any U.K. rules that require gentlemanly conduct? If so, perhaps the handbook never made it to the streets of his hometown, where he battled bullies as a youth and was trained by his colorful ex-musician father.
‘I’ve been boxing since I was 10, so I’ve seen most things,’ Calzaghe said today during a telephone conversation with The Times.
His HBO fight at Madison Square Garden will be against Jones, 39, the former light-heavyweight and heavyweight world champion. He hopes this repeat trip to the U.S. to fight one of the country’s best-known pugilists will earn him more respect by the American fans.
‘Maybe they can see I’ve made an effort to come over and take on big challenges. A true champion gores outside his comfort zone,’ Calzaghe said. ‘I’m away from my country, my environment, my family and friends. It can get tense fighting an American in America, but I want to test myself. When I do, I think I perform better.’
He promises to ‘fight my heart out’ against Jones, but repeated a pledge to retire afterward. It could be difficult to stay away, however. Hopkins, coming off his upset over middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, said he’ll agree to a lucrative rematch in Wales.
‘I’ve been boxing 26 years,’ Calzaghe said. ‘I want to win this fight, retire on top, take a break and then maybe do some TV work.’
-- Lance Pugmire
on the shoulders of his father, Enzo, celebrates his April victory over Bernard Hopkins. Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty Images
