Mr Calzaghe Page #3

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But people don't realise

just how good I am.

And until I fight for a world title,

then they're going to see

what Joe Calzaghe's all about.

'Cause I'm going to destroy anybody

who's gonna get in the ring with me.

I'm only on 70% so far.

When I get that world title

fight, that's different,

then you're going to see the power.

Well, let's, um, let's

bring in Frank Warren here

who was saying off microphone that there

was nothing wrong with that opponent.

Um, explain?

Well, you're saying that,

you're saying that the opponent

that Joe had in front of

him tonight was no good?

I don't think that he was a

particularly great fighter.

I'm not criticising Joe's

performance, he's done the job.

I mean, what do you want to see, to see

him have a 12-round war or something,

and then you'll be satisfied?

It won't happen because

they can't take the power,

they can't take the hand speed.

He's done well at this level, he

will be stepped up another level.

He will fight for a world

title. It will happen this year.

I don't agree with what you're saying.

You're doing him a disservice...

He made them look bad because

his style of boxing was unique.

So, they always had something

against what Joe was achieving.

And I gotta say this now,

it pissed me off big time.

Joe's relationship

with his father is a very complex one.

Because this man,

when he was going out to a fight,

he's going to let his son be injured.

The son was going to trust his

father, who's sitting at his corner.

And I think it is an immense

accolade to both Enzo and Joe

that they managed to keep that relationship,

a very, very unusual relationship,

but it seemed to work.

He's gonna be worried,

he's gonna have fear.

He's thinks we're gonna win, but

it's stressful for him, as well.

It's not like he's just

training any other fighter.

He's training his son

that's about to get in

the ring where somebody

who is going to try

and knock your head off

My son is going into a sport

that can be very dangerous, right?

And Joe knew that and

accepted the consequences.

My mum, she's, uh,

totally the opposite of my dad.

Uh, she never wanted me to box.

She's like "Joe, you

know, do something else.

"What are you boxing for,

getting punched in the head?"

I've never been to any

of Joe's fights, no.

I couldn't bear it, no.

It's horrible. It's a horrible feeling.

And I, and I did see

Johnny Owens going down.

And Owens down for the

second time in his boxing career.

The only times he's ever been

down, and he's in trouble now...

And I can remember he went

down and he didn't get back up.

A father has to teach

his son how to live.

A trainer has to teach

his son how to fight.

Those are not always compatible.

Years before, if you wanted to ruin a

fighter, you had him trained by his father.

I mean, there were almost

virtually no success stories.

I'm not a masochist, I'm a father.

But in that ring, it's war.

He chose to go to war.

I chose to be with him in the war.

Now, course I got sentiments,

but I got no sentiment whatsoever

for that 36 minutes of fight.

I got no sentiments.

I can't have sentiments.

I can't! I wish I had!

But I haven't got 'em.

Because simply as that, that's

my kid that I'm putting to war.

I put him to war. Right?

He's gotta get out of that war.

Oh, and that went

through straight as a lance,

and he is not going to like that.

That really was bang on the money.

At the press conference,

he looked at me and laughed.

He went "Hey, kid, I'm gonna take you

somewhere you've never been before,

"I'm going to take you

into the trenches. "

I'm thinking, "Yeah, right, okay. "

And now,

ladies and gentlemen,

for 12 rounds of boxing,

for the vacant WBO Super Middleweight

Championship of the World.

/was complete, I

was total. I was pure as a fighter.

I was always in shape.

And I'd been training

from the day I'd started.

I never had breaks.

When I was going to fight Joe

Calzaghe, I knew that he was unbeaten.

I knew he was a southpaw.

I had watched him fight.

I thought that perhaps, he has

never fought anyone like me.

Chris Eubank

/ am pure.

I'm a very difficult man to beat

because it's not about money,

it's about honour.

All right, gentlemen.

We went over the ru/es

in the dressing room.

I expect a good clean fight. Give

me good Sportsmanlike conduct.

Obey my commands at all

times. Shake hands. Good luck.

I didn't know whether

his punching ability was real.

Fast hands, yes, but

you have to have lead.

You have to have heavy hands.

Oh, left hand

puts Eubank on the floor.

What a start from Calzaghe!

I remember landing on my back.

I messed the seat of my pants,

is how hard the shot

came out of nowhere.

I caught him with a left hook.

First 15 seconds, he went flying

across the ring, landed on his arse.

Man, I thought, "This

is going to be easy. "

"What are you talking about?

"What'S Chris Eubank all about?"

Bingo!

F***ing dropped him down. I said, f***ing

this, "Joe, that's brilliant. Excellent.

"That not going to last another round.

"F***ing brilliant, get on with it. "

All his so-called slaps,

they were hard punches.

He was a hurtful puncher.

Fast and hard.

And at that point in the first round,

I knew I would have to be resourceful.

Motherfucken

He did. He got up and,

uh, he was a good fighter.

He was a good fighter.

Good

body shot from Eubank

Two or three.

Ca/zaghe there

asking a /ot of questions

about his heart, his

chin, his determination...

And his right to be here.

I mean, I threw every punch

I could possibly throw.

Two rounds, three rounds,

I remember thinking...

Come back to the stool

and like, breathe heavily,

and he's still doing this

little strut that he does,

looking around and I'm like, "Oh,

Dad, it's going to be a hard night. "

I knew in the 11th round,

12th round, /'d stil/ be there,

and if he isn't the real deal,

I will break him in those rounds.

No one stops me.

It's just, uh, it's just a thing.

Eubank again,

always with a fast start.

Can he break Calzaghe's resistance?

Trust me, after seven or eight rounds,

/ had, I felt I had nothing left in me,

and wanted to win and wanted to win

and just, you know, coming

through the pain barrier

and gave me a second wind.

And he was right, you know, he

did put me through the trenches.

That's how we do.

We're real.

Oh, big left and a right,

and Eubank, how did he stay up from those?

Ca/zaghe

landed a good left hand there.

It's a good exchange from him.

COMMENTATOR 1; Eubank let

him go with his right hand.

He just cannot put out

Calzaghe's Hre though.

I mean, he stood

strong. He had it all.

Ladies and gentlemen,

we go to the Scorecards.

Dave Pepper scores the bout 118 to 109.

Paul Thomas scores it 116 to 111.

And Roy Francis scores it 118 to 111.

For the winner who is now WBO Super

Middleweight Champion of the World,

Joe Ca/zaghe!

Joe Calzaghe, World

Champion, how does that sound?

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