By Sam Gregory: “He’d proven all his doubters wrong”. “He achieved things that most fighters can only dream of. Tonight’s the end of a chapter.” “He beat everyone put in front of him, he unified all the belts.” “He beat an American in his own back yard. What more did he have to do? He’s a great ambassador for British sport.”
These were just a few of the things said about Joe Calzaghe when he officially announced his retirement from professional boxing just a month before his 37th birthday.
His fellow British fighter, Ricky Hatton was also quick to show his admiration saying, “What more can Joe Calzaghe do in his career? He’s done Vegas, Madison Square Garden, world champion in two different weight classes, one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and he’s unbeaten. He’ll retire as one of the greatest fighters that Britain has ever produced.”
Joe’s father and trainer, Enzo Calzaghe backed his sons decision to retire from professional boxing, insisting he was “over the moon” at the announcement.
Calzaghe Sr. said; “I said to Joe ‘the minute you want to retire I’ll be behind you because enough is enough.’ Technically and on the physical side of things he could carry on for another five years. But more importantly it’s the mental side of things, the hunger for it. Let’s be honest, he’s done all he can do. There’s nothing left to prove. He knows how to win.” His father also added about his son, describing him as “A wonderful human being.”
The proud father added, “As a fighter he’s something special. The goals he’s achieved. I have so many memories; from the first day he won the ABA’s, right up to when he beat Eubank. I’ve been at ever fight with him.”
Joe Calzaghe has confounded fighters for years with his southpaw style and lightening speed so to better examine how Calzaghe was as a fighter; I’ll take a look back at his last three professional fights.
On November 3, 2007 in front of more than 50,000 fans in Cardiff, Wales, Calzaghe cemented his status as the world’s best 168 pound fighter, and a Hall-of-Famer, with a decision win over previously undefeated WBA/WBC counterpart Mikkel Kessler. The bout pitted a speedy southpaw with a quirky volume-puncher style against a brutally effective textbook boxer-puncher and for the first six rounds the momentum shifted back and forth as each man executed the best aspects of his game.
During that stretch, according to Compubox, Calzaghe was 131 of 480 (27.3 percent, 80 punches per round) to Kessler’s 87 of 279 (31.2 percent, 46.5 punches per round) but while Calzaghe landed more jabs (74-41) and power punches (57-46) Kessler was more accurate with his harder punches (46.5 percent to 29.8 percent).
With the result of the fight still up in the air, Calzaghe was urged to raise his game in the final six rounds. That he did, and to great effect. In rounds 7 through 12, Calzaghe throttled up to 88.3 punches per round, out-landing Kessler 154-86 overall, 63-11 in jabs (including 35-1 in the final three rounds) and 91-75 in power shots. What made the surge so stunning was that Calzaghe dominated a Kessler who, with the exception of the jab numbers, was still operating at similar levels to the first six rounds. Kessler actually threw more punches per round (51) and upped his power punch output (75-160 as opposed to 46 of 99) and accuracy (46.9 percent to 46.5 percent). Despite that, Kessler ended up losing by 117-111, 116-112 (twice).
Against Kessler Calzaghe was 285 of 1,010 overall (28 percent) to the Dane’s 173 of 585 (30 percent) while pulling away in jabs (137 of 550, 25 percent to 52 of 326, 16 percent) and power shots (148 of 460, 32 percent to 121 of 259, 47 percent). He out-landed Kessler in 11 of 12 rounds overall and led 34-2 in the combined overall/jab/power punch breakdown.
On April 19, 2008 in Las Vegas Calzaghe made his long-awaited debut on U.S. soil against former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins. Like the Calzaghe-Kessler fight, this fight matched two deeply contrasting styles in terms of output.
Hopkins gained an instant foothold in this fight when he scored a first round flash knockdown with a counter right in the opening seconds of the first round. Hopkins went on to slow Calzaghe’s attack in the first five rounds of the fight. (75-39 in total connects, 12-3 in jabs and 63-33 in power shots), the key was that Calzaghe was held to 52.8 punches per round as opposed to the 70 he averaged in his other fights. Meanwhile, Hopkins was operating at 31.6 punches per round, a typical and comfortable pass for him.
From the sixth round on, the pace and the fight turned Calzaghe’s way. Calzaghe lifted his output to 63.3 punches per round and because Hopkins was forced to play catch-up he had to throw more often to keep pace (44.3 punches per round).
In those rounds Calzaghe was 157 of 443 (35.4 percent) to Hopkins’ 88 of 310 (28.4 percent) overall, 33 of 129 in jabs (45 of 224, 20 percent) to 11 of 93, (12 percent) and power shots (187 of 483, 39 percent to 116 of 375, 31 percent). He out-landed Hopkins in every round and led 33-1-2 in the categorical breakdown.
When Calzaghe fought Roy Jones Jr. nobody really knew at the time which Roy would show up for the fight. And for one round, and actually for one superlatively timed right hand, the 39 year old fighter appeared to be the Roy Jones of old. But from that point forward, the Roy Jones of old turned into the old Roy Jones and it was “Super Joe” Calzaghe that proceeded to pile up the points and punches that only punctuated his unquestionable superiority. In the end, the three judges Julie Lederman, Terry O’ Conner and Jerry Roth all scored the bout 118-109, meaning that they all gave Calzaghe every round except the 10-8 first round.
Overall in the fight Calzaghe out-threw Jones by an average 42.5 punches per round and out-landed him by 15.4 connects per round. Calzaghe had 30 or more connects in six consecutive rounds (rounds three through eight) while Jones never rose above 18 total connects (round five). In fact, Calzaghe’s 39 connects in round four exceeded Jones’ total output in six of the twelve rounds.
The difference in jabs was even greater as Calzaghe was 120 of 362 (33 percent) to 12 of 149 (8 percent) for Jones.
In power shots Calzaghe was 224 of 623 to Jones’ 147 to 326. In six consecutive rounds (three through eight) Calzaghe had 20 or more power connects, peaking at 28 in the third, while Jones’ highest was in the fifth in which he landed 18.
Of 36 statistical categories, Calzaghe out-performed Jones in 33 of them. The only category in which Jones out-did Calzaghe was in the first round with power punches where he had an 8-6 edge.
In short, this was, at least in a statistical sense, the worst beating an opponent ever administered to Roy Jones. In the end Roy Jones ended up being just another victim of Calzaghe’s numbers game; a game the Welshman plays better than anyone else in boxing today.
Cruiserweight boxer Enzo Maccarinelli, who is also from the Newbridge stable, summed it up best when he said of Calzaghe, “He is simply the best British fighter ever produced.”
Joe Calzaghe had a final professional record of 46 wins, 32 by knockout with no defeats. The only other pro fighters to retire with an unbeaten record are heavyweight great Rocky Marciano and the 2007 Hall-of-Fame inductee, flyweight Ricardo Lopez.
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