Tuesday 25 December 2007

A British Sporting Hero



Joe Calzaghe – King of the Ring

”Sports Personality of the Year 2007”


Congratulations to Calzaghe senior and junior for winning their awards last weekend recognizing their achievements and input into British sports this year, and for all of those surrounding them and supporting them because without all those people who are in the background they would never have achieved the greatness which they have in their sporting careers that has now been caped and sealed by the British public with these awards.

The heart of Joe Calzaghe says “I am a winner not a loser” and 10 years at the top of his fighting division and undefeated by anyone in 17 years proves that point, so to win this award now at the end of this milestone year for him and his family shows the British people’s appreciation for their Welsh sporting Jewel – The Welsh Warrior and in my mind the award could not have gone to a more deserving person as every Joe Calzaghe fan would agree.

As a man of faith it was good to hear Joe Calzaghe thank God and mean it, in front of the whole Nation, for all that he has achieved in his sporting career, humble recognition of the one who holds all things in His hands. That God was not the god of Islam by the way, they are not the same, take it from me as someone who knows, people will say He is the same – He is not!

Joe Calzaghe raises the banner high and sets the standard for British sports that we hope will be emulated by others in 2008, it is shame the British football team do not have the heart of ‘Team Calzaghe’, we might then win something on the World football stage, instead we have a load of overpaid young men who worry about what they are going to spend their England Team money on rather than having their minds set on winning for themselves, their families and the British people.

Joe Calzaghe won the well deserved prestigious No1 spot of “Sports Personality of the Year 2007” which now signifies his elite status within British sports and cements his global star status within the Boxing world, this man is a living legend, living in our generation. We look back at sporting greats whose Boxing achievements reverberate through history, with the likes of Rocky Marciano, Cassius Clay and Sugar Ray Leonard to name just a few. In this generation we don’t have to look back, we can look forward because we have the likes of Joe Calzaghe and Pretty Boy Floyd living and fighting now for us to watch - The first true Boxing icons of the 21st Century whose sporting achievements will live on long after they have retired from the sport.

Joe Calzaghe has cemented his living legend status within the eyes of the majority of the Boxing world, no one can take away or try to discredit his legacy, and other great Boxers of this generation like Bernard Popkins know this fact so are now trying to duck meeting the Welsh Warrior even though Mr. Popkins shouted him out in front of millions of his own fans – I saw Mr. Popkins nerves go when faced with Joe Calzaghe at the Undefeated weigh in.

Bernard Popkins claims he is a legend and Joe Calzaghe is just a mere Champion but by his actions he proves Calzaghe’s status and elevates him far above his position in the Boxing worlds eyes because if Mr Popkins was a living legend then he would not shout out Calzaghe and then duck him – What does this say to everyone?

Would be good to see another one of Golden boys boxers come over to the Millennium Stadium for the first of Joe Calzaghe’s last two fights before retiring, and then if Bernard Popkins really wants to fight the winner of Trinidad and Jones then let him have it as a warm up before what would be an end of year retirement fight for both fighters in the Yankee Stadium – ‘Let the King of the Ring’ decapitate Golden Boy promotions.

Oscar Dela Hoya sees what is coming – The Clash of the Titans and there can only be one winner – “You cannot conquer the un-conquerable”

The winner of Joe Calzaghe and Bernard Popkins will go down as the true trans-Atlantic legend of this generation, the same as the recent undefeated title against Pretty boy Floyd and Ricky ‘the hitman’ Hatton, so Mr Popkins cannot duck this if he wants to go down in the international annuls of Boxing folklore, depends on how he thinks and how he wants to be remembered – Bernard Popkins, Mary Hopkins or Bernard Hopkins the last man to fight the undefeated Champion Joe Calzaghe?

People will say about the age of Hopkins and Calzaghe, that it will be a miss match, Calzaghe 36 and Hopkins 43, both of these men are still at the top of their profession, both of them fighting men a lot younger than themselves as the Kessler fight showed, and still beating them so this is not a mismatch, this is a fight to see who really is the best of the best and go down in the Boxing history books that will be spoken of in many many years from now. Hopkins said he wants to take away Calzaghe’s undefeated record in the Yankee Stadium and Calzaghe said come on then, now Hopkins is trying to wriggle out of it now he is backed into a corner facing the Welsh Warrior.

There is no way out for you now though Mr Hopkins because you were the one who asked for Calzaghe and he is now staring you in the face saying come on then.

The biggest fight of 2008 – Joe Calzaghe v Bernard Hopkins – The stuff history books are made of.

Not only did ‘The King of the Ring’ Joe Calzaghe pick up the prestigious No1 spot in British sports this year but his father Enzo also scooped an award as best trainer. Joe Calzaghe would not be where he is today, at the top of British sports if it was not for his father Enzo so this award is highly deserved and shows the recognition from everyone to the father who helped his son become undefeated undisputed World Champion, a British sporting icon and a soon to be international boxing legend.

I believe that Calzaghe senior winning an award was far more important to his son than his No1 spot, so for them to have both won awards must be very special for the both of them and their families.

The Calzaghe story from where it all began to where it is now is the stuff of Hollywood so don’t be surprised if you see a film in the future depicting this amazing legendry boxing story from its humble beginnings in the Welsh Valleys to global Boxing superstardom, the same as we see films on Mike Tyson and Ali – Maybe after JC has shown Mary Hopkins who really is the best, the book is closed and the final chapter in this story is written will this unique story be immortalized on the big screen.

The only trainer who I personally think has been able to transcend the sport of Boxing is Cus D’Amato, the man who shaped the most formidable Heavyweight to have ever stepped into the ring – Mike Tyson – What he created in Mike Tyson shocked the world and made the world look up, not just the boxing world but the whole world, others then destroyed that unique inspiring boxing legend once Cus D’Amato was gone.

In my mind the greatness of Enzo Calzaghe comes into the same category as the boxing trainer Cus D’Amato, Calzaghe senior has trained his son into an undefeated, undisputed 10 year world champion, who is undefeated in 17 years and he has created a stable of World Champion fighters, and all from walking through the doors of a local welsh gym as a complete novice with his son all those years back when this journey first began, the facts speak clearly for themselves that nobody can deny other than through jealousy – In my humble opinion Enzo Calzaghe is one of the greatest trainers to have ever lived, based on the facts.

’Team Calzaghe’ houses some of the best British fighters out there with the likes of Enzo Macrinalle and Gavin Rees, with each of these World Champions coming under the lead trainer Enzo Calzaghe.

Enzo Calzaghe is a legend in his own right and his achievements will also be spoken about long into the future when other up and coming fighters talk about the greats like Joe Calzaghe and who trained them. Their boxing life story in itself is the stuff of folklore; this truly is a blessed family and a blessed ‘Team’ who have the potential to be an inspiration to many.

Let us hope and pray that they are promoted properly in the coming years so that everyone of this generation and of the next hears and knows exactly who their sporting Jewel from the Welsh Valleys is, and that their achievements will live on into the future and into history, transcending the world of sport into everyday life.

2008 is going to be a good year for the Calzaghe camp, they go into it after a year of great achievement and recognition, with nothing left to prove other than for Joe Calzaghe to etch his name into the true boxing history books – I believe the story is already written - Golden boy’s decapitation

Pretty boy Floyd stated that Golden boy and Mayweather Inc is the future of boxing, then set up the Mary Hopkins clash, you know it’s a big one along with everyone else who knows it too, or is it just that your man Mr Hopkins knows within himself that he cannot beat Joe Calzaghe so would rather duck the fight.

Would be good to see if EA sports could afford to have ‘The King of the Ring’ Joe Calzaghe on the front of their 2008 game as well, I am sure it would be a collectors item if JC accomplishes his personal and professional goals in 2008. Imagine if you owned something similar from all those years back in Rocky Marciano’s day, do you think it would now be a collectors item, imagine 50 – 60 years from now, a computer game from 2008 where the 2008 ‘King of the Ring’ is immortalized – Can EA sports afford the Calzaghe endorsement?

Joe Calzaghe has a very long shelf life for all potential endorsements.

May God continue to bless ‘Team Calzaghe’, camp Calzaghe and brand Calzaghe.

Calzaghe – “The mark of a boxing greatness”

Further reading: The truth behind the Tattoo's

Further reading: British Sports Personality of 2007

Wednesday 7 November 2007


Joe Calzaghe
Undefeated Undisputed
SMW World Boxing Champion


"No1. Sports personality of 2007"

This weekend just passed Joe Calzaghe the 'Welsh Warrior' cemented his boxing legacy and career achievement by defeating the World Champion 'Viking Warrior' Mikkel Kessler and unifying all of the boxing belts for his fighting weight.

This achievement means that he is now the undisputed World Champion at the Super Middleweight division.

Not only is the Welsh Warrior now the undisputed World Champion, he is also an undefeated World Champion, he has been undefeated in the last 17 years of his boxing career and for the last 10 of those 17 years he has held the WBO World Title belt, beating every challenger who has stepped through the ropes and into the ring with him.

This man's achievement within boxing is historical and the stuff of legend, that's why he is named 'The Pride of Wales' by the people of Great Britain.

The prestigious WBO belt that Joe Calzaghe has held onto for the last 10 years was taken from Chris Eubank, who had himself taken it from Nigel Benn, two legendary fighters in their own rights. Those names etched into the history of this belt shows the prestige of this World title that Joe Calzaghe has held onto and shows his historical legendary position within the sport.

There is no other sporting personality in Britain who has achieved anything that comes close to what Joe Calzaghe has achieved this year and is the reason why in my mind 'The Pride of Wales' should win this years award.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of him first obtaining the WBO belt from Chris Eubank and the 'Welsh Warrior' cemented his status as the best fighter in his division by fighting and beating Mikkel Kessler and unifying all of the World title belts.

The Welsh Warrior goes into 2008 as the undefeated, undisputed Super Middleweight Champion of the World and shows that he is a 'special sporting icon' and an inspiration to many in Great Britain and around the World and should be recognised as such by everyone within sport.

Great Britain is crying out for a role model for our youth and young people, who are running around our towns and cities, stabbing, shooting and killing one another and terrorising innocent people in the process. Joe Calzaghe in my mind is that inspirational role model that this Nation is seeking for, the only thing is, is that the media have not given this man or his team the proper platform to promote themselves and what they are about so that people from across this land can know who this modern living legend from the Welsh Valley's is, they would rather give that platform to Amir Khan who is not a scratch on the 'Welsh Warrior', who could in no way unite and inspire our youth to want for something more in this life, he is a fabricated plastic role model created by his 'Team Khan' business advisers that does no good for anyone other than himself and his 'Team Khan' bank account.

The story behind Joe Calzaghe's rise to boxing stardom, legendary status and the history books as one of the very few fighters to have ever been undefeated in so long is the stuff of myth and fantasy, only this is no myth or fantasy this is a reality and shows why this man is 'The Pride of Wales' and that his team have so much to give the people of this Great Britain and not just World Championship victories in the boxing ring.

This World Champion boxer started his school life being bullied like so many other vulnerable children across the country. He has no problem openly speaking about it because he knows personally the trauma that some kids go through in their early years of life from personal experience. Rather than becoming a bully himself he got into sports out of school and his dad ended up taking him to a local boxing gym in Wales. Father and son had absolutely no knowledge of boxing but they both stepped through the door of that gym together, and after his first few times being there the local trainer told his dad that he had a good boxer there in his son. His father Enzo was as much a novice as young Joe but they both started out on this journey together with Eno Calzaghe working with and training his son.

From this father son partnership that has lasted Joe Calzaghe's sporting career that started with both of them knowing absolutely nothing about boxing we the people of Great Britain now have a living boxing legend in our midst in the form of the 'Welsh Warrior', and 'Team Calzaghe' have created a fighting stable of World Class Champion boxers like Enzo Maccarinelli.

The story behind Joe & Enzo Calzaghe and their career achievements is special and unique and this Nation should honour them for that, we should also use them if they would allow, to inspire others at a time when inspiration is very much needed. Joe Calzaghe personally inspired me after watching him beat the American Jeff Lacy, at a time when I was at one of my darkest lowest points I watched this on ITV1 and it was inspirational, after 12 rounds the 'Welsh Warrior' had a fan for life, I knew I had just witnessed a very special British sporting talent and it was the best TV in a long while - The unification class with Mikkel Kessler is to be shown on BBC1 at 1pm on Saturday if you want to see what I am talking about.

The sporting personality of the year is going to come down to two people, Joe Calzaghe and Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton has achieved great things within Formula 1, he is now a British icon ,but an inspiration? I don't know, he doesn't inspire me I'm sorry to say, and does he inspire those young kids running around our towns and cities with knives and guns? No I don't think so either, how many Formula 1 training grounds are there for these kids to go to, to aspire to becoming an F1 driver like Hamilton? F1 is so far out of reach from the youth of our Nation that you have to ask the question; who does Lewis Hamilton inspire? Of course he inspires the pop stars and film stars of Monte Carlo, but does he inspire the young kids on the verge of becoming violent criminals and throwing their lives away in gang crime and culture? I don't think so.

Could an undisputed legendary World Champion boxer inspire our youth who are on the verge of a life of violent crime? Yeah I think so. Are there boxing gyms across our Nation for these young kids to train? Of course, In nearly every city with many more needed. Could our youth really be inspired by a boxing great? For British people reading this post ask yourself what you think of Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank, Lennox Lewis, Frank Bruno, Barry McGuigan to name just a few, were they inspirational in their day?

The minister for sport should take a serious long hard look at what good Boxing can do for the youth of this Nation if he truly wants to help make a difference - I'm sure 'Team Calzaghe' would give you some words of wisdom.

No matter who wins the sports personality award of 2007, no one can take away the achievements of these two men, but lets now forget here that Joe Calzaghe is an undisputed, undefeated World Champion of 10 years and Lewis Hamilton is a second place winner in his first year.

In Joe Calzaghe's own words "I am a winner not a loser".

The worst travesty in sport would be Amir Khan coming anywhere near winning due to the fact that he has done nothing for sport other than use it to fill his bank account, and he nearly killed someone with his car who will now be partly crippled for the rest of his life.

As we go into 2008 and look forward to the 'American Invasion' with the 'Welsh Warrior' fighting the 'Executioner' Bernard Hopkins, the whole of Great Britain should be behind their Champion and every young person in the U.K should know exactly who Mr. Joe Calzaghe is, their British sporting diamond.