Enzo Calzaghe has backed his son Joe’s decision to retire from professional boxing. Earlier this evening Enzo said he was “over the moon” at the announcement. Speaking to Setanta Sports News Enzo Calzaghe 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. Lets be honest – he’s done all he can do. There’s nothing left to prove. He knows how to win.”
Enzo Calzaghe paid tribute to Joe, describing him as “a wonderful human being”. He 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 ABAs, right up to when he beat Eubank. I’ve been at every fight with him.”
Quotes from the Duddy/Vanda Tuesday, Feb. 3 press conference
“Ireland’s” John Duddy
I’ve been a part of the boxing history at the Garden and I’m glad to be back. It’s a real honor and a pleasure to be a part of this Garden show. It’s kind of a homecoming for me even though I’m from Ireland.
All that matters to me is what happens next. The past is the past and the next chapter in my career begins on February 21st. In all walks of life we have our ups and downs and boxing is no different. You get up before the count of ten and move on.
I feel very fortunate to be fighting here. America is full of Irish – epecially in New York. Boxing fans working class people and I fit into that mold. I am as well known here as I am in Ireland and if you go anywhere in the world and mention Madison Square Garden the first thing they think of is boxing. I am very priviledged and hope to keep myself in that historical boxing loop at MSG.
I am working very hard for this fight. Over Christmas I kept very active. Patrick is working me very hard. OVer Christmas in Ireland I kept active. My father and the rest of my family was beating me up in the amateur club I worked at as a kid. Thank God it doesn’t get as cold in Ireland as it does in NY so I was able to get plenty of work done.
I hope this time around the people come out and support me like they’ve always done. Nothing is going to change fromt he way I do things. I get hit in the head ofr a living and I hope that everybody enjoys it. At the end of the day, it is who you are going to see fight, not who you get the tiket from.
Vanda is a tough sone of a gun and he can take a great punch. And he also can give a good punch as well. He’s never been stopped so you have to take that into consideration also. The two of us are going to put on an exciting night of fireworks fro the fans.
VANDA
May the best man win and I hope it is me. I am very excited to fight John Duddy.
Duddy is a great fighter and it would be great to give him his first loss. We each know what kind of fighters we are. We trade punches, which is probably not the greatest thing to do. The last few weeks I’ve been training very hard and on the 21st I’ll be rocking with John Duddy.
I just want to go on as long as I can in this sport. I hear what people say about me, they say I’m a stiff and things like that. They can say whatever they want, but they’ve never been in the ring and they don’t know what it’s like to get hit.
JOE BUCK JOINS HBO SPORTS
HBO Sports, widely recognized for its pioneering, award-winning and distinctive storytelling productions, will add another accomplished broadcast talent to its programming roster when Joe Buck hosts a sports talk show launching this May, it was announced today by Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports, and Rick Bernstein, executive producer, HBO Sports. The new series will be presented on a quarterly basis and likely utilize a live town hall format.
“I am flattered and beyond excited that HBO has given me this opportunity,” said Buck, who will continue as FOX Sports’ lead play-by-play commentator on its NFL and MLB packages. “With HBO’s track record, production quality and rate of success, there is no more desirable home in sports. I hope to create something fresh and unique for the network that truly showcases all I can do. And I hope to get Larry David’s cell phone number someday.”
“At HBO we strive to produce programs viewers cannot watch anywhere else on the dial,” said Greenburg. “Whether it’s ‘Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel’ or ‘Hard Knocks’ or our ‘Sports of the 20th Century’ documentary franchise, we try to capture our audience’s attention with something unique and innovative. With someone as talented and engaging as Joe Buck, this new show should become another signature program for HBO Sports.”
“We will craft the series to showcase Joe’s character and personality,” said Bernstein. “Joe is a tremendous broadcaster and we are thrilled to develop this new platform with him.”
Joe Buck embarked on his broadcasting career as a youngster, growing up in St. Louis, where his father, Jack Buck, served as the play-by-play announcer for the St. Louis Cardinals. He spent 17 years working Cardinals radio and TV broadcasts before concentrating full-time on his FOX Sports duties. Buck joined FOX Sports in 1994 at age 25 as the upstart network was launching its sports division. He was assigned to the NFL package and subsequently the Major League Baseball package when FOX acquired those rights in 1996.
A six-time Emmy® Award winner, Buck is one of sports television’s premier play-by-play commentators. Along with all-time greats Curt Gowdy and Al Michaels, he is one of three national broadcasters to work as the lead announcer in both the NFL and MLB broadcast booth on a network level in the same season.
Buck, 40, has called ten World Series for FOX Sports and handled play-by-play for two Super Bowls, including the New York Giants’ dramatic comeback win over the New England Patriots in February 2008.
Over the past three decades, HBO Sports has earned a reputation as sports television’s best storyteller. The acclaimed “Sports of the 20th Century” documentary series has earned seven George F. Peabody Awards for production excellence. Last April, HBO earned more Sports Emmy® Awards than any other single network. HBO Sports programming includes two boxing series, “World Championship Boxing” and “HBO Boxing After Dark”; HBO Pay-Per-View; the NFL training camp experience “Hard Knocks”; “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel”; “Sports of the 20th Century” documentaries; and the “24/7” reality franchise. The inaugural “BNP Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup,” featuring four of the top women tennis players in the world, including No. 1-ranked Serena Williams, will air from New York’s Madison Square Garden March 2 on HBO.