0:00:08 > 0:00:11I'm here in Newbridge to meet its greatest son.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14With the help of his dad,
0:00:14 > 0:00:19he probably became the best British boxer of all time.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23And what better way to honour Newbridge's favourite son,
0:00:23 > 0:00:25by building him a new bridge?
0:00:30 > 0:00:35- ANNOUNCER:- Introducing the fighting pride of Newbridge, Wales,
0:00:35 > 0:00:40Jo-o-o-oe
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Calzaghe!
0:00:43 > 0:00:45CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Joe Calzaghe was born in Hammersmith in 1972,
0:00:58 > 0:01:02before moving with his Sardinian dad, Enzo, and Welsh mother, Jackie,
0:01:02 > 0:01:03to Newbridge.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Unhappy and bullied at school, too slow for soccer,
0:01:09 > 0:01:11he instantly felt at home in the ring.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13- CROWD:- Yes!- Go on, go on, Joe!- Yes!
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Unusually, he was trained by his father.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21And after a successful amateur career,
0:01:21 > 0:01:26despite missing out on the Barcelona Olympics, he turned pro in 1993,
0:01:26 > 0:01:28with his first fight in Cardiff
0:01:28 > 0:01:30on the same bill as Frank Bruno and Lennox Lewis.
0:01:36 > 0:01:3822 unbeaten fights later,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Joe took on Chris Eubank and the world sat up.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49But it wasn't until he beat Jeff Lacy that the Americans wanted him
0:01:49 > 0:01:53and he finished his amazing career with massive fights against Kessler,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Hopkins and finally Roy Jones Jnr.
0:02:00 > 0:02:0246 fights undefeated,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05the longest-reigning super-middleweight world champion of all time.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Well, apparently, the gym is down this way.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21It used to be Abercarn Rugby Football Club.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24So, hang on, there's something here.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26I have to say,
0:02:26 > 0:02:31not the flashy gym I expected, but spit and sawdust.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36The Joe Calzaghe gym.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Let's go and have a look who's here.
0:02:44 > 0:02:45Solid door, anyway.
0:02:48 > 0:02:49Hello?
0:02:51 > 0:02:52Anyone in?
0:02:55 > 0:02:57- Oh, here he is.- Hey!- Enzo. - How are you?- How are you keeping?
0:02:57 > 0:03:00- Long time no see.- Are you all right? - All right.- Good man.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03- Can I come in? Can I come in? - Hang on, you've got grey hair.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Grey? Oh, I've gone. I lost it all, mate. It's all gone. You all right?
0:03:06 > 0:03:08- Yeah, good.- Good to see you, good to see you.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17- Amazing memories here, Enzo. - Basically like being in the gym.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21- It is amazing, isn't it? - Look at this lot.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24- It's incredible, isn't it? - Can you see that?
0:03:24 > 0:03:25He named everybody in boxing.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Right, you know, everyone he's boxed.
0:03:28 > 0:03:29All there.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Are you kind of relieved now he's retired?
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Yes, happy. I'm really over the moon with it.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Because the minute he said, "Last fight..."
0:03:43 > 0:03:49He took me in the corner, he said, "Dad, I lost my hunger."
0:03:51 > 0:03:53- I knew then...- That's it, then.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56- Bang.- Job done, though. Job done.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Yeah, but it's hard to, you know,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01because obviously I knew his life would be a different kind of life
0:04:01 > 0:04:04that he had later on. But one thing that would...
0:04:04 > 0:04:08- His word, that word, just took me...- That was it.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11- That's it.- Can't trade him in. - No way.- No, no, no.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15He could be... We were offered 20 million, 50 million.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19I said, "Joe, don't take it.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23"If you take that and something happened, you've lost everything."
0:04:23 > 0:04:25That O, though. That O was important.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27- The O is... Oh... - That O was so important, wasn't it?
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Of course it is, course it is, course it is.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34Not because of vanity or vain, it's the fact that it he remains a legend.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36- Brilliant.- A legend.- Brilliant.
0:04:41 > 0:04:42Pop in.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46- There you are.- Ah!
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- Here he is, man.- Hey.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50- Joe. How you keeping, boy? - How are you doing, Jon?
0:04:50 > 0:04:53- Good to see you, how are you doing? - Good to see you.- Looking well, boy.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55- You OK?- Yeah, looking well, looking well. Hey.- That's great.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57- It's a shrine here, isn't it? It's amazing.- It is.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00- It's fantastic.- They have all these pictures up on the wall and over the
0:05:00 > 0:05:02years, and it's created like a bag of some...
0:05:02 > 0:05:04- It's incredible.- ..decent memories.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06It's absolutely incredible, isn't it?
0:05:06 > 0:05:07Eubank fight.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12The bridge, both of you on the new bridge in Newbridge.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15The Calzaghe Bridge, yes. So everybody gets to walk over me every single day.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17I don't think so. I don't think... The only way, the only way.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Luckily for me, there was a boxing gym in Newbridge, Old Blue Shed.
0:05:29 > 0:05:30And I went there.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33I just remember the first day I walked in
0:05:33 > 0:05:34and the smell of the gym
0:05:34 > 0:05:38and just seeing these bags getting hit and just,
0:05:38 > 0:05:39like, a little tiny nine-year-old.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41I was like, "Wow." Yeah, I was nervous as well,
0:05:41 > 0:05:46and I still remember putting gloves on and the old trainer at the time,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Paul Williams, said, "No, do a double jab left."
0:05:48 > 0:05:50And I'd done it automatically.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53And he said to my dad, "He's boxed before."
0:05:53 > 0:05:55But my dad had taught me how to box from, like, the age of eight,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57before I went to the boxing gym.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Being brought up in the South Wales Valleys, you know,
0:06:02 > 0:06:07was a pretty blessing to be a boxer, do a hard sport like boxing.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09You know, the age of nine, it was very tough.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12I broke my seven teeth, you know, brought up on a council estate,
0:06:12 > 0:06:13not much money.
0:06:13 > 0:06:18Didn't really like school and boxing was my way out, to be honest.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20So, yeah, it was difficult.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23If you look around you, all the hills and the mountains, you know,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26people used to say, "Why don't you go training camp?"
0:06:26 > 0:06:27Because this is my training camp.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31You know, the only things we had to get in was sparring partners.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33But from the age of ten, 11, you know,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36I'd run the same runs I'd run to the end of my career.
0:06:36 > 0:06:37You know, your mental toughness.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40You know, everyone has not got a certain degree of mental toughness,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43but for you I think it stood out in your younger days,
0:06:43 > 0:06:47but also later on in your, you know, in your big fight as well.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49What it is, I lost my first-ever fight.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50A lot of people don't know that, right.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53- I didn't want to mention it.- Yeah. I lost... Chris Starke, his name.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55I lost my first-ever fight as a ten-year-old.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57I remember crying my eyes out in the rain.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59I got robbed, by the way, because...
0:06:59 > 0:07:00God, of course you did, of course you did!
0:07:00 > 0:07:02..his dad was also the judge.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04I have to add, I beat him six times afterwards.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06- All right, OK, OK. - So I lost my first fight.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08And I remember, every single loss I had,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10the last loss was the European Junior Championships,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13- where I got robbed as well.- Yeah. - As a 17-year-old on points.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15And I remember every single loss.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17So what drove me on was the fear of losing.
0:07:18 > 0:07:19Never fear of an opponent.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21I loved winning, it was my escapism.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23I didn't have a good time at school
0:07:23 > 0:07:26and I felt myself while I was in this ring.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29When I was in this dangerous place in the ring, that was me.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31I think the first big fight
0:07:31 > 0:07:33and everyone, maybe non-boxing fans go,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36"Oh, it's Calzaghe versus Eubank, I've been waiting for this."
0:07:36 > 0:07:37And, yeah, it was a massive fight.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39And like I said, I was quite apprehensive,
0:07:39 > 0:07:43because he had 21 world-title fights. You know, I just had 21 fights.
0:07:43 > 0:07:44I knocked everybody out in the first few rounds,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46I went eight rounds once.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49And then boxing Chris Eubank, I watched him on TV.
0:07:53 > 0:07:59- COMMENTATOR:- So now, can the young lion take over from the old master,
0:07:59 > 0:08:00as he likes to call himself?
0:08:02 > 0:08:06And in the fight, it was the best ever thing to happen, I think,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08was to go 12 rounds with Chris Eubank,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10because I dropped him in the first round.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Was that the best punch you've ever thrown?
0:08:14 > 0:08:17It must have been one of them, because nobody puts Chris Eubank
0:08:17 > 0:08:20flat on his arse the way I did, so he goes flying across the ring.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23I'm looking at my dad thinking, "This is going to be an easy night."
0:08:23 > 0:08:25- I know, I know. - And he gave me 12 torrid...
0:08:25 > 0:08:28I mean, I was spent after six or seven rounds.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31- Hardest fight ever, maybe? - He was my hardest fight.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34He's not my best opponent, it's just because that was my first time,
0:08:34 > 0:08:3612 rounds with the pressure,
0:08:36 > 0:08:40knowing I had to win and everything was on that night against, you know,
0:08:40 > 0:08:41a tough, tough guy...
0:08:41 > 0:08:43- Yeah.- ..like Chris Eubank, who's been there, done it,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46been 12 rounds on so many occasions.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48You know, it was proud for me, but it was hard.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51And no other fight was as hard as that fight.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53I really, really had to dig deep that night.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Why isn't this in a museum or...?
0:09:03 > 0:09:07- It should be.- Yeah.- It should be. Yeah, memories of all of fighters.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10- Brilliant.- You know, with a history of, you know, Welsh boxers as well.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Of course it is. Of course, of course, of course.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Some great fights, some great names. You've got the boxing gloves.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Fantastic photographic memorabilia,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21and corner of my eye I've seen the belts, Joe.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23- Yeah.- Just a few... Just a few of them, is there?- Yeah.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26- Go on, show me these. - I brought a few belts over.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29I know you've got so many of them. Why are these so special?
0:09:29 > 0:09:34I think... Is that...? I can see the names on them. Hopkins.
0:09:34 > 0:09:35Fight with Kessler.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Muhammad. Joe.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45WBC. And then that one then is, that's Hall of Fame, that's...
0:09:45 > 0:09:47- Yeah, well, basically... - That's a special club, isn't it?
0:09:47 > 0:09:49- Well, this is the Hall of Fame ring right there.- Go on. Look at that.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52- There he is. I never really wear this, to be honest.- No.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54- But I put it on for today. - I know. I know, nice.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56This was special, being inducted into
0:09:56 > 0:10:00the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014
0:10:00 > 0:10:03along with Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad, two greats.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06- So amazing. Yeah, great boxers. - So it was amazing for myself and my family.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10- What's it like, you know? People...- They're pretty heavy, you know, so...
0:10:10 > 0:10:15People can't imagine the adrenaline in a fight pre-match in a corner,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17but the euphoria of actually holding that up...
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- It's incredible.- And then going... It's amazing, yeah.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22It's just, it's just great.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24When you've got four of them to put on, they're pretty heavy.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27So after 12 hard rounds against Kessler at the Millennium,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30to put four or five belts on, you know, with the euphoria, like you said,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33and the adrenaline still kicking in, you still, you don't feel anything.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35- Is there anyone...?- The next day you feel it, though.- Oh, I can imagine.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39- You feel the aches and pains. - Yeah, I know.- You can imagine yourself, mate, yeah.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42But what, you know, is there any one of these more special than the other ones, or...?
0:10:42 > 0:10:46- It's difficult to say. I'd say maybe Lacy. - Yeah.- I'll tell you why.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Because, you know, I felt that I was never getting
0:10:48 > 0:10:51the respect I deserved. Americans wrote me off, I was the underdog.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Everybody says, "You're going to get knocked out."
0:10:53 > 0:10:54The bookies said I was going to get knocked out,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57and to go in that ring, and with my father as well.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59I was injured, I nearly pulled out.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Thankfully Dad, you know, said, you know,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03we could do it even with one hand.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06So I went into that fight and fought the best I could ever fight.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- COMMENTATOR:- But how will his hand stand up?
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Is he fit enough to repel one of the meanest men in boxing?
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- REFEREE:- All right, gentlemen. The time you've been waiting for is here.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27The opportunity of a lifetime, so remember, take advantage.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32What's it like when you stand there for a big fight, one against one?
0:11:32 > 0:11:35All I can see, when I walk out to the ring, I see the ring.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36I see the lights, I look at the opponent.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39I don't take my eyes off the opponent from the moment I walk into the ring,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42to the moment I step in that ring, I look at the opponent.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44- I never take my eyes off him. I'm just zoned in on the guy.- Amazing.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45What I need to do,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48and what I've worked hard to do and put into action.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52What are you looking for, you know, when you stare him out?
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Weakness. I think you can say what you want to say,
0:11:56 > 0:11:58but at the end of the day, eyes don't lie.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00When you stand really close to somebody,
0:12:00 > 0:12:02they can say what they want to say before they get into that ring,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05but when you stand there, I'll look for weakness.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08And sometimes you can see the weakness.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10And I want them to see my strength.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13I want them to know that you're going to have to
0:12:13 > 0:12:14pin me down to beat me.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17You ain't just going to walk in this ring and win, it's not going to happen.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21- COMMENTATOR:- This has been an absolute masterclass from Joe Calzaghe.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23He has silenced the doubters.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28Calzaghe is boxing his way to a magnificent points victory.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31I don't really think that it gets very much better.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40We believed in each other. In the corner, what I said, he did.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Let's hook the body. Jab, jab, wah, let's go.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Jab, jab, left! Hook the body.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48He has so much respect in my method, right.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Not because I'm a father, forget the father.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54There's no father. I divorced him at that time.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58They won't know each other. He had a good method.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01You're doing well, but not better. You can do better, Joe, OK?
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Bam-bam-bam-bam!
0:13:03 > 0:13:09You said that you had to be a trainer, then there's a line, and a dad. And vice versa.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11How could you separate it?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14You can. It's got to separate. It's got to. It can't...
0:13:14 > 0:13:15- I know you've got to...- Got to.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Because otherwise, don't be a trainer.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- Yeah, I know.- Does that make sense?- Yeah, it does.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22If you can't train somebody, don't do it.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24It must be difficult to cut the emotion out, Enzo.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27- For me it wasn't, it wasn't. - It's both ways though, isn't it? - Yeah. Of course it was.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Because a lot of father-son relationships in sport,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31especially boxing, don't work.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34- And the thing is...- Rare.- ..when you go to the gym, we were...
0:13:34 > 0:13:37- Separate.- Separate. It wasn't father-son.
0:13:37 > 0:13:38It was boxer-trainer.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41I had to look at Dad, respect him as a trainer.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43It's very difficult, isn't it?
0:13:43 > 0:13:44- And we argue in the gym. - So difficult.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46I mean, we'd fight, we'd argue.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48- I know, yeah, yeah.- Not physically, we sparred a little bit.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51We'd fight and argue, but outside, we could stop talking about boxing
0:13:51 > 0:13:54- and just talk about other stuff. - Exactly. So basically, to be a trainer.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56I didn't want to be a trainer if I wasn't a proper trainer.
0:13:56 > 0:13:57He needed to have someone else.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59I believe in myself.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02I believed in Joe, I believed he wanted me to be a trainer.
0:14:02 > 0:14:07You know? It works that way. Otherwise...don't do it.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09He's a great trainer. We had three world...
0:14:09 > 0:14:12- three world champions in the gym at one time, so... - That's right, so...
0:14:12 > 0:14:14And you had no background at all in boxing, did you?
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- No, no...- Music and football. That's a good background for boxing(!)
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- Yeah, that's it. - He could box, though. He could box.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Because as a kid, he used to... I mean, never had fights.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- You could box. - I know, I can box.- So we used to spar. From the age that...
0:14:25 > 0:14:27I actually sparred with Dad until I was about 24, 25.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29He had the big headguard on, the body protector,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31and he used to spar with the boys.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Seriously, he was probably my toughest sparring partner,
0:14:34 > 0:14:35because he knew my style!
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Yeah, but...but, if I caught him once, watch out.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41- Yeah, could be the longest minute... - Got to watch out, ow!
0:14:41 > 0:14:43Longest minute of your life!
0:14:43 > 0:14:46So where did you...? Where did you then, right...
0:14:46 > 0:14:49You said you watched the boxing and knew it's one, two, one, two.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51I read somewhere, you thought of the music
0:14:51 > 0:14:53and the combination of combinations.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Exactly. Yeah, that's right.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58I mean, first of all, I always think Machine-Gun Kelly.
0:14:58 > 0:14:59- Right?- Machine-Gun Kelly.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02- You remember the film?- The war film, yes.- Yes, that's right.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05And there's machine guns in play, banging. I mean...
0:15:05 > 0:15:09He wasn't going to take one of them in the ring, was he?
0:15:09 > 0:15:10But you can see, out of the ten shots,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14- he might lose... Catch them four times.- All right, OK.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16You know, I'm going to make a complete fool of myself.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19You're going to try and show me how you change it, right?
0:15:19 > 0:15:21- Yeah!- We'll see now. - It's the best part of it.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24- Come on, come on, then. Come on, then.- Come on, then. Come on. Right.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27It's ready, man. So, first of all, you try a jab.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Good. Make sure... Watch my hand here.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Boo!
0:15:33 > 0:15:34I know I've got to keep my left hand up!
0:15:34 > 0:15:38- Right, go ahead.- Now uppercut. Uppercut. Now double it up, fast.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42- One, two!- Nice.- Turn. Bang! Uppercut! Punch, uppercut! Uppercut,
0:15:42 > 0:15:44uppercut, uppercut!
0:15:44 > 0:15:46That's it. Keep going.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Keep going. Three minutes, three minutes.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51- Let's go, let's go.- Three minutes, keep going, keep going!
0:15:51 > 0:15:53Keep going. Faster, faster!
0:15:53 > 0:15:56- Keep going.- That's an uppercut!
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Hey, that's good, man.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00You've got some good hand speed there, Jon.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03- That's good.- And you've got to keep that up
0:16:03 > 0:16:05for three minutes for 12 rounds. I don't think so, I don't think so.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07But I understand, though...
0:16:07 > 0:16:11- Correct.- ..the speed and the numbers.
0:16:11 > 0:16:12But then that surely...
0:16:12 > 0:16:14- The... The... The...- The fitness.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17- The fitness, amazing, isn't it? - Yes. Unbelievable.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19And to keep it up was ridiculous.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22- Five of ten rounds.- I remember things said, Chris Eubank said,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24people were saying, "Oh, he slaps."
0:16:24 > 0:16:27I tell you what, it's the hardest slap I've ever seen in my life!
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- That says it all.- But that's... Does it make sense?- It makes sense.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32- Are you having a heart attack, mate? - I think I'm having one.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35I haven't had one before, I think I'm having one now!
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- COMMENTATOR:- It was here in the old Cardiff Arms Park
0:16:40 > 0:16:43that Joe Calzaghe's career began back in 1993.
0:16:44 > 0:16:50Now, he has what may be one of the toughest nights of his career.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Maybe the biggest pressure fight you had was, you know,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56taking Kessler to Cardiff in front of, you know,
0:16:56 > 0:16:5950-odd thousand people.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01What was that like? What was that feeling like?
0:17:01 > 0:17:04You know, because Wales is special to you.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Everyone kind of came to support you.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08They went to support you, you know, all over the world,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10but that must've been the fight.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Yeah, do you know what? Kessler, obviously, my last fight in Britain.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15And what a way to finish off, you know,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19to fight the other best super weight and unify all the belts, like,
0:17:19 > 0:17:21in front of 50,000 of your home fans,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24in a beautiful stadium like Millennium.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28After all the hard work and the years of struggles and injuries,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31it was just beautiful, so... I tried not to think about if I lose,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33I'll never be able to show my face in Cardiff again,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36which did cross my mind, so just get that one out your mind!
0:17:36 > 0:17:38- COMMENTATOR:- He has what may be
0:17:38 > 0:17:41one of the toughest nights of his career.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44Trying to wing the shot around
0:17:44 > 0:17:47that straight left hand lead of Kessler, who's started well.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49And that's a decent right hand from Kessler.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53And a good left jab! And now Kessler's starting to come in!
0:17:53 > 0:17:54And he's looking for Calzaghe.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Good right hand, good work from Kessler.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59I knew I was in for a tough fight.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00I would say Mikkel Kessler
0:18:00 > 0:18:02was probably the best fighter I've boxed.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06He was at his peak, undefeated 39 fights and he could hit hard.
0:18:06 > 0:18:07Because you changed tactics in that fight.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09I needed to change tactics in that fight,
0:18:09 > 0:18:11because I'm a very aggressive southpaw,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15so I come forward and he was counter-punching me as a southpaw.
0:18:15 > 0:18:16I'm normally the box counterpuncher
0:18:16 > 0:18:19and he caught me some good uppercuts in the fourth.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22And they stung, so I come out for the fifth round,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24I started to use my boxing skills,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27adapted and that's when I pulled away with the fight.
0:18:30 > 0:18:31- COMMENTATOR:- Epic fight tonight.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Good left hand from Calzaghe, who's visibly growing in confidence.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Another solid left hand and another.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39This is what I was saying about Calzaghe, Jon,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41he can adapt and he can change his style.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Calzaghe showing superb boxing skills there.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Winning the Sports Personality of the Year, you know,
0:18:56 > 0:18:57that must have been a real proud moment.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Yeah. That's right, it was massive.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01I think it was two weeks after the Kessler fight.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05You know, to be recognised as Sports Personality of the Year,
0:19:05 > 0:19:06which is great,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10I think I'm the first Welshman in about 30 years to win that.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12And that's just the ultimate, really.
0:19:12 > 0:19:13Joe Calzaghe.
0:19:27 > 0:19:32Also, my dad got Trainer of the Year the same year, which was amazing.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34I knew he was going to get the Trainer of the Year,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36but I was shocked when they said I won,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38so yes, very, very proud moment I think.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41It just goes to show all the belief I had in myself
0:19:41 > 0:19:43finally got recognised at the end.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46I'm shocked. Yeah, I'm shocked.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49A tremendous honour. It has been a great year for me.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52This year, ten years as the world champion, you know,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55becoming undisputed champion and to lift this, you know...
0:19:55 > 0:19:59I said I didn't care last year, but I lied, you know.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02I can finally say I'm proud of it.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05A tremendous achievement, also my dad tonight,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07and it is just a massive honour.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09It hasn't sunk in yet. It's just amazing.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11It caps off a beautiful year for me.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Thank you very much for everybody who has voted for me
0:20:14 > 0:20:18and hopefully next year I can do a great year again. Thank you.
0:20:21 > 0:20:22When you were in Vegas,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24you picked a fight with Hopkins as well, didn't you?
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Yeah. That's right.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28I'm not going to go from Kessler, fighting another champion,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30I want to fight the best, which was Hopkins.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34And I wanted the fight in America. I think it's important for me
0:20:34 > 0:20:37to show the Americans that, listen, I'm not just stay at home,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40a guy that fights in Wales and England,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42I'll come out to America and fight, so...
0:20:42 > 0:20:46I got a cheap seat for the fight with Hatton and Mayweather
0:20:46 > 0:20:49with a few mates and went into the press room
0:20:49 > 0:20:53and that's where Hopkins zoned into me and made that statement.
0:20:54 > 0:20:55I would never let a white boy beat me!
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Well, you're going to lose, if you fight, you will lose.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00And as soon as he said it, I was, like, "Brilliant!"
0:21:00 > 0:21:02The best thing ever. I rang the promoter straightaway.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04It was total carnage in the press hall.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06And the fight was made, you know,
0:21:06 > 0:21:10and he was trying to intimidate me and so on.
0:21:10 > 0:21:11And they remember the weigh-ins.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14He's looking at me head-to-head.
0:21:14 > 0:21:15"I'm going to bust them up,"
0:21:15 > 0:21:17looking at my ribs. I went, "You're older than me."
0:21:17 > 0:21:20"I'm going to bust the hell out of them." And I laughed.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23And as soon as I laughed, he took a step back.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26As if he was, like, couldn't believe I answered him back
0:21:26 > 0:21:28and actually was really confident.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30And he walked away.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34- COMMENTATOR:- Joe Calzaghe, now 36 years old
0:21:34 > 0:21:36and here on his American debut.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Look at him. He just looks so relaxed.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Taking it all in his stride.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Calzaghe against Hopkins now then.
0:21:49 > 0:21:5212 three-minute rounds.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55- BELL RINGS - The talking ends, the action begins.
0:21:58 > 0:21:59Oh, a good right-hand!
0:21:59 > 0:22:04And Hopkins has put Calzaghe down in the very first round!
0:22:06 > 0:22:09The thing is, nobody can look good against Bernard Hopkins.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12- Yeah, I know.- He knows how to nullify what you have and he did.
0:22:12 > 0:22:13He did a good job.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17And me getting put on the floor, knocked down in the first round...
0:22:17 > 0:22:20I was chasing the fight, and I think it was after six rounds,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22because I was throwing a lot more punches,
0:22:22 > 0:22:23he was holding, fading, low blows.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27I think that swayed the decision in my favour.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29But, yes, it was nerve-racking at the end of the fight.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32They said split decision and, you know,
0:22:32 > 0:22:37"From Newbridge, Joe..." Michael Buffer.
0:22:37 > 0:22:38I tell you know what,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42it was one of the most proudest moments of my life.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44- ANNOUNCER:- Cal-zaghe!
0:22:51 > 0:22:53And of course, the last fight.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55That's a dream come true, isn't it?
0:22:55 > 0:23:00Madison Square Garden against, you know, another Hall of Famer,
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Roy Jones Jnr. What was that whole experience like, you know, for you?
0:23:04 > 0:23:09Well, to be honest with you, after the fight with Kessler,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11I knew I was going to retire.
0:23:12 > 0:23:13I was injured all the time,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16my hands, my back, everything was hurting.
0:23:16 > 0:23:23And I made good money. So I thought to myself, "You know what?
0:23:23 > 0:23:24"I want to be one of the very,
0:23:24 > 0:23:28"very few fighters that retires at the top with a zero."
0:23:28 > 0:23:30That's important and it has a huge motivating factor.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Massive. If you give me 100 million and take that zero away,
0:23:33 > 0:23:34it doesn't mean anything to me.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37The legacy, to be up there with Rocky Marciano,
0:23:37 > 0:23:42to be up here with the best and not lose, you can't put a price on that.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45For me, the legacy was always the most important thing to me,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49so when I beat Kessler, I achieved everything I wanted to achieve.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53In my own national stadium in front of my home fans was always my dream.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56And to beat the best, so I had nothing left to prove.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58So there was one thing I wanted to do
0:23:58 > 0:24:01and it was always a dream of mine to fight in Madison Square Garden,
0:24:01 > 0:24:03the Mecca of boxing, you know,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06fight another ring legend in Roy Jones Jnr
0:24:06 > 0:24:09and I knew way before that fight that was the end.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15So I'm thinking to myself,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18as a guy from where I come from, Newbridge, you know,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21always being written off, always being injured,
0:24:21 > 0:24:23saying I'm never going to go nowhere in school,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25and I'm in Madison Square Garden.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28I'm going to enjoy the last fight in Madison Square Garden against one of
0:24:28 > 0:24:30the best fighters, Roy Jones Jnr.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41I'm going to drop my arse, I'm going to shake my arse,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43I'm going to drop my hands, I'm going to do what I want to do.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46And I was saying, "Joe, this is the last round of your whole life,"
0:24:46 > 0:24:49so after that bell rang, I knew that was it for me.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52I knew, no matter what lure or money would come, that was it,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54because I'd lost the spark.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56I had achieved everything I wanted to achieve in boxing
0:24:56 > 0:24:59and to have fought again would go against
0:24:59 > 0:25:02everything that I ever stood for.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05- ANNOUNCER:- Jo-o-oe Calzaghe!
0:25:15 > 0:25:18People don't really realise,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21being a professional sportsman is a privileged existence,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25but when you finish, it is back to the real world,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29so how have you coped with, you know, after boxing?
0:25:29 > 0:25:30It's difficult, of course.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33You retire at 37 and somebody will say,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36"Do something else you love," but all you've ever done since you were
0:25:36 > 0:25:41eight is fight, you know, so yeah, you miss the regime of it,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44getting up in the morning, what you have to do every day.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46A lot of boredom sets in.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50You miss the euphoria, the buzz, the adrenaline of the crowd, you know?
0:25:51 > 0:25:54It's hard, but then it goes away.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58I'm still training boxing, I'll hit the bag sometimes.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00My boys do a little bit of boxing.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04I'm a dad to two great sons, you know, and yeah,
0:26:04 > 0:26:08it's hard sometimes, but at the moment, I'm happy.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10I'm back home in Wales. I've got a few businesses I run.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13I'm still interested in the boxing, charity work and life is good.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16That's the main thing, it's keeping yourself occupied.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19That is the main thing, because you're out of the routine,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22the regime and the discipline, so it's tougher than what people think.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24There's two things I don't miss about boxing,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27is losing all that weight and getting punched in the head,
0:26:27 > 0:26:28but except for that, I'm all right!
0:26:28 > 0:26:31You mentioned, I think it was, Kessler, which fight
0:26:31 > 0:26:33- you had to lose... - The Kessler fight was the most.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35..3st in 12 weeks?
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Just under 15, I had to come to 12st in 12 weeks.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41And I had no dietician like you have today.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44It was old school, you know, sweat suits,
0:26:44 > 0:26:48starving myself and eating hardly anything the week of the fight
0:26:48 > 0:26:52and being so dehydrated and emaciated.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Honestly, it's the worst and hardest, to be a stone heavier.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00How much would you put on then from the weigh-in to the actual fight?
0:27:00 > 0:27:04From the weigh-in to the fight, just under a stone, about a stone.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08- That's a day?- Yeah, I'd put on about 8lbs in an hour.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12That's just fluid loss. I would weigh-in at 12st.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Within two or three hours, I'd be 12st 8lb.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18That's just because of water loss and dehydration, which was painful.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20- Yeah, I can imagine. - So the fighting was the easy bit.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23You said, you know, it was all about keeping that zero
0:27:23 > 0:27:25and leaving a legacy.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29How would you like Joe Calzaghe to be remembered?
0:27:29 > 0:27:31How would I like to be remembered?
0:27:31 > 0:27:33You know, just by being a great champion,
0:27:33 > 0:27:40always wanting to give 100% for my fans, always wanting to entertain.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42When I fought, you know, some fights with the best,
0:27:42 > 0:27:43but I always tried to force fights,
0:27:43 > 0:27:47always tried to entertain and just give my best.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49That's all you need. 46-0.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52- That's all you have to remember, mate.- Thank you.- Legacy is there.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54- Thank you, my man. - Pleasure.- Thank you very much.
0:27:54 > 0:27:55You're a legend. Thanks, mate.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Having spent the day with Joe, this place just sums him up.
0:28:03 > 0:28:10Private, quiet, humble, hard-working, proud.
0:28:10 > 0:28:15I think Joe's the best British boxer I've ever seen and met,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18and deserves to be celebrated on a wider scale.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Who knows?
0:28:21 > 0:28:22Sir Joe Calzaghe.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27MUSIC: Breaks Today by The Slow Show