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*[[Light-heavyweight]]
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| height = 6 ft
| reach = 73 in
| nationality = Welsh
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{{MedalGold | [[ABA Championships#Welterweight (-69kg)|1991 London]] | [[England Boxing National Amateur Championships Welterweight Champions|Welterweight]]}}
}}
'''Joseph William Calzaghe''' {{post-nominals|country=UK|CBE}} ({{IPAc-en|k|æ|l|ˈ|z|æ|ɡ|i}} {{respell|kal|ZA|gee}}; born 23 March 1972) is a Welsh<ref>{{Cite web|title=About Joe|url=https://joecalzaghe.com/about-joe|access-date=9 June 2020|website=joecalzaghe.com| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610003555/https://www.joecalzaghe.com/about-joe| archive-date=10 June 2023}}</ref> former [[professional boxer]] who competed from 1993 to 2008. He held multiple world championships in two [[weight class (boxing)|weight classes]], including [[unified champion|unified]] and [[lineal championship|lineal]] titles at [[super-middleweight]], and the ''[[The Ring (magazine)|Ring]]'' magazine [[light-heavyweight]] title.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7638453.stm|work=BBC News|title=Calzaghe ends division domination|date=3 October 2008|access-date=6 May 2010}}</ref>
Calzaghe is the longest
Between 2006 and 2008, Calzaghe was ranked by ''The Ring'' as one of the world's top ten active boxers, [[boxing pound for pound rankings#The Ring|pound for pound]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thering-online.com/ringpages/ratings2.html|title=The Ring Ratings|access-date=23 March 2007|work=The Ring|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315070454/http://www.thering-online.com/ringpages/ratings2.html|archive-date=15 March 2007}}</ref> reaching a peak ranking of third in January 2009.<ref>[http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/The_Ring_100_:_Ranking_the_World%27s_Best_Fighters The Ring 100: Ranking the World's Best Fighters – Boxrec Boxing Encyclopaedia], Boxrec.com; 1 March 2009; retrieved 19 December 2012.</ref> He retired in February 2009 with an [[list of undefeated boxing world champions|undefeated record]] of 46 wins, and as a reigning world champion.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7871918.stm|title=Undefeated Calzaghe quits boxing| access-date=5 February 2009|work=BBC Sport|date=5 February 2009}}</ref> As of 2022, [[BoxRec]] ranks Calzaghe as the twenty-fourth greatest fighter of all time, pound for pound, as well as the second-greatest European boxer of all time.<ref>[https://boxrec.com/en/ratings?r%5Bcountry%5D=EU&r%5Bdivision%5D=&r%5Bsex%5D=M&r%5Bstance%5D=&r%5Bstatus%5D=&r_go= BoxRec All-Time ratings: European P4P]. boxrec.com</ref><ref>[https://boxrec.com/en/ratings?r%5Brole%5D=proboxer&r%5Bsex%5D=M&r%5Bdivision%5D=&r%5Bcountry%5D=&r%5Bstance%5D=&r%5Bstatus%5D=&r_go= BoxRec All-Time ratings]. boxrec.com</ref>
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==Biography==
Calzaghe was born in Hammersmith, London, to
Calzaghe was born in [[Hammersmith Hospital]] in March 1972,<ref name="c3033"/> before his father decided to move the family back to Sardinia at the end of the year, living in his grandfather's home in Bancali. However, his mother again pushed to return to Britain and the family lived with his maternal grandmother in Markham for three years before they moved into their own home on a [[council estate]] in Pentwynmawr, near the town of [[Newbridge, Caerphilly|Newbridge]],
At the age of eight, he was given a children's boxing toy that developed his interest in the sport and his father made a [[punching bag]] from an old carpet.<ref name="c3438"/> He joined his first boxing club, Newbridge Amateur Boxing Club at ten years old and the sport quickly took priority for the young Calzaghe as he gave up playing football after two years.<ref name="c3940">{{harvnb|Calzaghe|2007|pp=39–40}}</ref> Calzaghe moved on to [[Oakdale Comprehensive School]] at 11, but was targeted by bullies as a teenager, becoming the target of regular verbal abuse that left him isolated. Although the culprits left him alone after a year, Calzaghe later admitted that he "never recovered from the abuse" and left school without sitting any of his [[General Certificate of Secondary Education|GCSEs]].<ref name="c4144">{{harvnb|Calzaghe|2007|pp=41–44}}</ref>
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==Amateur career==
In 120 amateur contests, Calzaghe won four schoolboy ABA titles, followed by three consecutive senior British ABA titles (British Championships) between 1990 and 1993, which were won in three different weight categories, [[welterweight]], [[light middleweight]] and [[middleweight]].<ref>{{cite web|author=British Broadcasting Corporation |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/justthejob/takeitfromme/star_joec.shtml |title=BBC Online – Just the Job – Take it from me |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |access-date=10 September 2010}}</ref> He reportedly had an amateur record of 110–10. Calzaghe received his last two defeats in a boxing ring at the hands of Michael Smyth in the 1990 Welsh ABA Final, and against [[Romanian people|Romanian]] amateur Adrian
==Professional career==
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Calzaghe then went on to defeat perennial contender [[Juan Carlos Gimenez Ferreyra]] (TKO after 9 rounds), a former opponent of both [[Nigel Benn]] and Chris Eubank. Calzaghe became the first boxer to stop Gimenez Ferreyra, something which Benn, Eubank and [[Roberto Durán]] had failed to do in the past.
In 1999, Calzaghe started out by fighting his domestic rival, [[Robin Reid (boxer)|Robin Reid]]. Calzaghe was bitter that Reid had refused to face him whilst holding the WBC Championship in a unification bout and vowed to beat him, while Reid vowed to upset the odds by defeating Calzaghe and becoming a world champion again. After four rounds of the fight, Calzaghe seemed in total control and on his way to a comfortable victory, but then Reid won the next couple of rounds and it became a highly competitive fight thereafter with around five close rounds by the end of the fight that could have been scored either way, or even. Reid was also docked a point by the referee in the eighth round after a fifth warning for rabbit punches and low blows. It was arguably the closest that Calzaghe came to losing in his entire professional boxing career. After twelve rounds, the judges scored the fight for Calzaghe via a split decision (two judges scored it 116–111 for Calzaghe, while the other judge scored it 116–111 for Reid).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mostbeautifulman.com/athletes/robinreid/bio.shtml |title=Robin Reid – pictures, picture, pics, images, gallery, info, bio, gossip, shirtless, photos, videos, band, lyrics, songs |publisher=Mostbeautifulman.com |access-date=10 September 2010 |url-status=
2000 started with another points decision against fellow Briton [[David Starie]], in what was a dull fight that had a lot of holding and with the boxers' respective styles never gelling. This was followed by impressive wins against [[Omar Sheika]] (who was coming off a win over [[Glen Johnson (boxer)|Glen Johnson]]) by fifth-round stoppage, and a TKO over former WBC world champion and close friend [[Richie Woodhall]] in ten competitive rounds, in what turned out to be Woodhall's last fight.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/wales/976045.stm | work=BBC News | title=Calzaghe-Woodhall – the countdown | date=17 October 2000 | access-date=6 May 2010}}</ref>
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Calzaghe's only fight of 2003 was in June against another former world champion, in the shape of American [[Byron Mitchell]] at the [[Cardiff International Arena]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/boxing-calzaghes-world-title-under-threat-from-mitchell-541990.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220609/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/boxing-calzaghes-world-title-under-threat-from-mitchell-541990.html |archive-date=9 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | work=The Independent | location=London | title=Boxing: Calzaghe's world title under threat from Mitchell | first=Steve | last=Bunce | date=27 June 2003 | access-date=6 May 2010}}</ref> Calzaghe won by [[knockout|TKO]] in the second. Calzaghe suffered his first career knockdown in the second round, before rising to halt Mitchell in the very same round, thus becoming the first boxer to stop Mitchell.<ref>{{cite news|title=Calzaghe scores explosive win|publisher=BBC.co.uk|date=28 June 2003|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/3016900.stm|access-date=20 April 2008}}</ref>
2004 started out with a defence against Armenian contender Mger Mkrtchian in Cardiff where he won easily by a seventh-round knockout, followed by a points win over Egyptian-American [[Kabary Salem]] in [[Edinburgh]] in October, during which Calzaghe was briefly knocked down in the fourth round by a right hand.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=147 |title=Joe Calzaghe Nearly Derailed – Boxing News |date=23 October 2004 |publisher=Boxingscene.com |access-date=10 September 2010}}</ref> However, Calzaghe was not hurt, and he dominated the fight and knocked Salem down in the 12th round, winning comfortably on all three scorecards, 116–109, 117–109 and 118–107.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/statistics/1235868.stm | work=BBC News | title=Results from 2004 | date=4 January 2005 | access-date=6 May 2010}}</ref>
Mario Veit worked his way to a rematch against Calzaghe in [[Braunschweig]], Germany, in July 2005, marking Calzaghe's second defence on foreign soil.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britishboxing.net/news_678-Calzaghe-can-t-Veit-to-make-Mario-pay.html |title=Latest Boxing News |publisher=BritishBoxing.net |access-date=10 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314144115/http://www.britishboxing.net/news_678-Calzaghe-can-t-Veit-to-make-Mario-pay.html |archive-date=14 March 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Calzaghe beat Veit by technical knockout in the sixth round. On 10 September 2005, Calzaghe fought the [[Kenyan|Kenya]] boxer [[Evans Ashira]] and won by a comfortable unanimous decision over the former Middleweight title challenger, despite breaking his left hand in the third round.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/2007-04-10-1302554252_x.htm | work=USA Today | title=Calzaghe breaks left hand in 20th title defense against Manfredo | date=10 April 2007 | access-date=6 May 2010}}</ref> Calzaghe fought on one-handed winning 120–108, 120–108, 120–107.
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On 14 October 2006, Calzaghe faced the rugged contender and future WBC super-middleweight champion [[Sakio Bika]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hbo.com/boxing/events/2006/1014_calzaghe_bika/columns/gottlieb_profile.html |title=Boxing: All Fights : Upcoming |publisher=HBO |access-date=10 September 2010}}</ref> Two points were deducted from Bika for head butts, one of which led to a severe cut over Calzaghe's left eye<ref>{{cite web|last=Staniforth |first=Mark |url=http://sport.scotsman.com/top-stories/Calzaghe-overcomes-the-cut-and.2818792.jp |title=Calzaghe overcomes the cut and thrust of Bika to win in ugly style – Scotsman.com Sport |publisher=Sport.scotsman.com |access-date=10 September 2010}}</ref> which would cause him problems for the duration of the bout. However, Calzaghe won the fight by clear decision to continue his undefeated run.
{{Main|Joe Calzaghe vs. Peter Manfredo Jr.}}
On 27 November 2006, it was announced that Calzaghe had signed a contract to defend his WBO super-middleweight title against former star of ''[[The Contender (TV series)|The Contender]]'' [[Peter Manfredo Jr.]] of the United States on 7 April 2007, at [[Millennium Stadium]] in Cardiff, Wales, to be shown on [[HBO]]. Because HBO did not want to cover a fight with the non-American mandatory IBF challenger [[Robert Stieglitz]] of Germany, and with the opportunity to fight World Middleweight champion [[Jermain Taylor]] in the summer if he won against Manfredo, Calzaghe chose to fight Manfredo and as a result had to relinquish the IBF super-middleweight championship. Both Calzaghe and Warren claimed that, "Stieglitz doesn't mean anything outside Germany."<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/6175236.stm | work=BBC News | title=Calzaghe relinquishes IBF title | date=27 November 2006 | access-date=6 May 2010}}</ref> Stieglitz went on to fight [[Alejandro Berrio]] for the vacant IBF title, losing in 3 rounds. Berrio in turn lost the title to [[Lucian Bute]] in his first defense.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Human:22445 |title=Alejandro Berrio – Boxrec Boxing Encyclopaedia |publisher=Boxrec.com |access-date=10 September 2010}}</ref>
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====Calzaghe vs. Kessler====
{{main article|Joe Calzaghe vs. Mikkel Kessler}}
[[File:Joe Calzaghe in 2007 crop.jpg|thumb|right|Calzaghe in 2007]]
In May 2007, [[Frank Warren (promoter)|Frank Warren]] released details to [[BBC 5 Live]] and on his website that Calzaghe had accepted Mogens Palle's offer of [[USD|$]]5 million to fight undefeated WBA & WBC world champion [[Mikkel Kessler]]. The bout took place at Cardiff's [[Millennium Stadium]] on 4 November.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/6280484.stm|title=Calzaghe-Kessler set Cardiff date|work=BBC Sport|date=11 July 2007|access-date=12 January 2008}}</ref> The fight was a unification bout for the WBO, ''The Ring'', [[World Boxing Association|WBA (Undisputed)]] and [[World Boxing Council|WBC]] super-middleweight titles. Calzaghe won by [[unanimous decision]], surpassing the 20 defences made by [[Bernard Hopkins]] and [[Larry Holmes]] at [[middleweight]] and [[heavyweight]] respectively.<ref name="usat">{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/2007-11-03-calzaghe-kessler_N.htm|title=Calzaghe beats Kessler to unify belts, eyes Hopkins|last=Johnson|first=Chuck|date=3 November 2007|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=10 November 2008}}</ref><ref name="secondsout">{{cite web|url=http://www.secondsout.com/reports/index.cfm?ccs=529&cs=23157|title=Calzaghe Outboxes Kessler To Become Undisputed World Champion|publisher=SecondsOut.com|author=Paul Upham|date=4 November 2007|access-date=12 January 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071105035740/http://www.secondsout.com/reports/index.cfm?ccs=529&cs=23157|archive-date=5 November 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="reuters">{{cite news |agency=Reuters|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/calzaghe-the-undisputed-king/2007/11/04/1194117877368.html|title=Calzaghe the undisputed king|date=5 November 2007|work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|access-date=10 November 2008}}</ref> Only former [[heavyweight]] champion [[Joe Louis]] (with 25 defences), former [[light heavyweight]] champion [[Dariusz Michalczewski]] (23 defences), former [[minimumweight]] champion [[Ricardo López (boxer)|Ricardo López]] (23 defences), and former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (23 defences) have made more title defences.
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====Calzaghe vs. Hopkins====
{{Main article|Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe}}
On 19 April 2008, at the [[Thomas & Mack Center]] in [[Las Vegas]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Iole |first=Kevin |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ki-fightchart041808&prov=yhoo&type=lgns |title=Fight breakdown: Hopkins-Calzaghe – Boxing – Yahoo! Sports |date=18 April 2008 |publisher=Sports.yahoo.com |access-date=10 September 2010}}</ref> Calzaghe defeated [[Bernard Hopkins]] to win ''The Ring'' Light Heavyweight Championship by a split decision in his first ever fight in the United States.
Calzaghe did not get off to a good start. In the first round, Hopkins struck him with a right hand, knocking him down.<ref>{{cite web|last=Iole |first=Kevin |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ki-boxscoring041908&prov=yhoo&type=lgns |title=Hopkins-Calzaghe round-by-round – Boxing – Yahoo! Sports |date=19 April 2008 |publisher=Sports.yahoo.com |access-date=10 September 2010}}</ref> As the rounds went on, Calzaghe continued to push the pace and began to get his rhythm going by landing combinations at close range.
Hopkins was upset with the official decision and said that he was robbed of a clear points win. Hopkins said, "I just really feel like I took the guy to school. I feel like I made him fight my fight, not his. I wanted him to run into my shots. I think I made him do that, and I think I made it look pretty easy. I think I controlled the pace, and I controlled the fight." He has also openly stated that he wanted a rematch with Calzaghe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=17615&more=1 |title=Bernard Hopkins Still Wants Rematch With Calzaghe, Says He'll KO Joe This Time! |publisher=Eastsideboxing.com |date=24 October 2008 |access-date=10 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320071551/http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=17615&more=1 |archive-date=20 March 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
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===Retirement===
On 5 February 2009, Joe Calzaghe announced his retirement from professional boxing. He finished his career with a record of 46 wins and no losses, and becoming one of only fifteen world champions (to date) to [[list of undefeated world boxing champions|retire as an undefeated world champion]].<ref name="BeebRetire">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7871918.stm|title=Undefeated Calzaghe quits boxing|date=5 February 2009|work=BBC Sport|publisher=BBC|access-date=5 February 2009}}</ref> After his retirement, fellow boxer and friend, [[Ricky Hatton]] described him as "the best British fighter we've ever had."<ref>{{cite news| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7873582.stm| title = Hatton hails Calzaghe as the best| access-date = 6 February 2009| publisher = BBC Sport | date=6 February 2009}}</ref>
[[File:Joe Calzaghe in 2021.jpg|thumb|180px|Joe Calzaghe in 2021]]
As of May 2023, [[BoxRec]] rates Calzaghe as the second greatest [[Europe]]an boxer, [[pound for pound]], of all time, behind [[Duilio Loi]].<ref>[https://boxrec.com/en/ratings?r%5Bcountry%5D=EU&r%5Bdivision%5D=&r%5Bsex%5D=M&r%5Bstance%5D=&r%5Bstatus%5D=&r_go= BoxRec All-Time ratings: European P4P]. boxrec.com</ref><ref>[https://boxrec.com/en/ratings?r%5Bcountry%5D=&r%5Bdivision%5D=Super+Middleweight&r%5Bsex%5D=M&r%5Bstance%5D=&r%5Bstatus%5D=&r_go= BoxRec All-Time ratings: world super-middleweight]. boxrec.com</ref>
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Following an undercover investigation by the ''[[News of the World]]'' newspaper, Calzaghe admitted he had used cocaine since his boxing career had ended. In a statement on his website, he added that he regretted his "occasional use of cocaine in what have sometimes been the long days since my retirement from the ring".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joecalzaghe.com/latest-news/joe-calzaghe.aspx |title=An Apology |publisher=joecalzaghe.com |date=28 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401102741/http://www.joecalzaghe.com/latest-news/joe-calzaghe.aspx |archive-date=1 April 2010 }}</ref>
Outside boxing, Calzaghe is a lifelong fan of [[Juventus
==Professional boxing record==
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|TKO
|3 (12), {{small|1:30}}
|[[Joe Calzaghe vs. Peter Manfredo Jr.|7 Apr 2007]]
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|[[Millennium Stadium]], Cardiff, Wales}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Retained WBO and ''The Ring'' super-middleweight titles}}
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|14 Oct 2006
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|MEN Arena, Manchester, England}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Retained
|-
|41
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|style="text-align:left;"|Bobbie Joe Edwards
|{{abbr|PTS|Points decision}}
|8
|22 Feb 1995
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|[[Telford Ice Rink|Ice Rink]], [[Telford]], England}}
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[[Category:Italian British sportspeople]]
[[Category:English people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:Sportspeople
[[Category:Boxers from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham]]
[[Category:People from Newbridge, Caerphilly]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Caerphilly County Borough]]
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[[Category:World light-heavyweight boxing champions]]
[[Category:Undefeated world boxing champions]]
▲[[Category:Boxers from Greater London]]
[[Category:Light-middleweight boxers]]
[[Category:British Boxing Board of Control champions]]
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