Adam Smith looks back at the superb career of Joe Calzaghe and says he deserves all the plaudits.
His unbeaten record speaks for itself
This week, I would like to pay my own tribute to the exceptional boxing career of Joe Calzaghe- an exemplary professional, a terrific guy, and, unquestionably, one of the finest fighters to have ever come from our shores.
I've been fortunate enough to have known Joe for an extremely long time. My step-mum comes from Newbridge - the small old mining town nestled in the valleys - and I am very close to my Welsh clan. My uncle lived next door to Joe's family for many years, and I watched him grow from a talented and flashy young amateur into a supreme, rounded and dominant champion. He is, without any doubt, the greatest sportsman ever to have emerged from these beautiful parts.
Early years
Joe was actually also born in the same Hammersmith hospital as my wife Jo - 7 months apart. His father Enzo was a traveling musician and chef, who had arrived by boat from the eclectic island of Sardinia, and had fallen in love with Jacqui. She was a lovely, quiet Welsh lady - and the polar opposite to the fast-talking, mixed dialect, crazy nature of her husband.
Joe has lived in Wales since he was 2, and is fiercely proud of his roots; he's been seen as the typical down to earth, hard-working Welshman.
My late grandfather was a long-serving prop forward for Newbridge and worked down the mines for 40 years.
Glyn Peregrine also used to drink in the old social club with Enzo. He was gentle by nature, but a very, very hard man by trade. A bit like Joe turned out. They breed them strong, tough and brave in South Wales. A tad insane, it must be said, as well!
"Watch out for that young Calzaghe," Glyn told me 20 odd years ago." He is going to be the best fighter to come out of Britain. Pretty special that boyo."
Joe first laced on the gloves at the age of nine, and had around 120 amateur contests. His skills were honed under the watchful eye of his father (who literally learnt the game beside his son) in a rusty old shack by the Newbridge Rugby club.
A lightening quick southpaw, Joe Calzaghe was natural, gifted and dazzling. He won four schoolboy ABA titles and an unprecedented three senior consecutive ABA titles at different weights - welterweight, light-middleweight and middleweight. He trounced fighters who would go on to become World Champions like Jason Matthews and Glenn Catley,
Calzaghe surprisingly lost to the Romanian Adrian Opreda at the 1990 European Juniors in Prague. It was to be his final boxing defeat. How on earth are we still saying that 19 years later?!
Early promise
A star was born on the sodden night at Cardiff Arms Park, when we showed Lennox Lewis conquering Frank Bruno - as Joe quietly turned over on the wet and windy bill.
Calzaghe returned to Sky with Frank Warren, having captured the British 12 stone crown, and was quickly chasing World honours. Joe re-iterated my Grandfather's words that he would become 'our greatest boxer' in the first TV interview I did with him in 1995.
Calzaghe craved a crack at the iron-chinned Irish King Steve Collins, but the Celtic Warrior called time on his career, and Joe was left facing the eccentric and tremendous Chris Eubank, who, of course, believed he was still 'simply the best'.
A fierce battle raged on October 11th 1997...such a memorable night for Calzaghe as he took the World super-middleweight title after 12 tough rounds. A huge photo of his sizzling knockdown of Eubank in the
