A British Sporting Hero

Joe Calzaghe – King of the Ring

”Sports Personality of the Year 2007”

Congratulations to Calzaghe senior and junior for winning their awards last weekend recognizing their achievements and input into British sports this year, and for all of those surrounding them and supporting them because without all those people who are in the background they would never have achieved the greatness which they have in their sporting careers that has now been caped and sealed by the British public with these awards.

The heart of Joe Calzaghe says “I am a winner not a loser” and 10 years at the top of his fighting division and undefeated by anyone in 17 years proves that point, so to win this award now at the end of this milestone year for him and his family shows the British people’s appreciation for their Welsh sporting Jewel – The Welsh Warrior and in my mind the award could not have gone to a more deserving person as every Joe Calzaghe fan would agree.

As a man of faith it was good to hear Joe Calzaghe thank God and mean it, in front of the whole Nation, for all that he has achieved in his sporting career, humble recognition of the one who holds all things in His hands. That God was not the god of Islam by the way, they are not the same, take it from me as someone who knows, people will say He is the same – He is not!

Joe Calzaghe raises the banner high and sets the standard for British sports that we hope will be emulated by others in 2008, it is shame the British football team do not have the heart of ‘Team Calzaghe’, we might then win something on the World football stage, instead we have a load of overpaid young men who worry about what they are going to spend their England Team money on rather than having their minds set on winning for themselves, their families and the British people.

Joe Calzaghe won the well deserved prestigious No1 spot of “Sports Personality of the Year 2007” which now signifies his elite status within British sports and cements his global star status within the Boxing world, this man is a living legend, living in our generation. We look back at sporting greats whose Boxing achievements reverberate through history, with the likes of Rocky Marciano, Cassius Clay and Sugar Ray Leonard to name just a few. In this generation we don’t have to look back, we can look forward because we have the likes of Joe Calzaghe and Pretty Boy Floyd living and fighting now for us to watch - The first true Boxing icons of the 21st Century whose sporting achievements will live on long after they have retired from the sport.

Joe Calzaghe has cemented his living legend status within the eyes of the majority of the Boxing world, no one can take away or try to discredit his legacy, and other great Boxers of this generation like Bernard Popkins know this fact so are now trying to duck meeting the Welsh Warrior even though Mr. Popkins shouted him out in front of millions of his own fans – I saw Mr. Popkins nerves go when faced with Joe Calzaghe at the Undefeated weigh in.

Bernard Popkins claims he is a legend and Joe Calzaghe is just a mere Champion but by his actions he proves Calzaghe’s status and elevates him far above his position in the Boxing worlds eyes because if Mr Popkins was a living legend then he would not shout out Calzaghe and then duck him – What does this say to everyone?

Would be good to see another one of Golden boys boxers come over to the Millennium Stadium for the first of Joe Calzaghe’s last two fights before retiring, and then if Bernard Popkins really wants to fight the winner of Trinidad and Jones then let him have it as a warm up before what would be an end of year retirement fight for both fighters in the Yankee Stadium – ‘Let the King of the Ring’ decapitate Golden Boy promotions.

Oscar Dela Hoya sees what is coming – The Clash of the Titans and there can only be one winner – “You cannot conquer the un-conquerable”

The winner of Joe Calzaghe and Bernard Popkins will go down as the true trans-Atlantic legend of this generation, the same as the recent undefeated title against Pretty boy Floyd and Ricky ‘the hitman’ Hatton, so Mr Popkins cannot duck this if he wants to go down in the international annuls of Boxing folklore, depends on how he thinks and how he wants to be remembered – Bernard Popkins, Mary Hopkins or Bernard Hopkins the last man to fight the undefeated Champion Joe Calzaghe?

People will say about the age of Hopkins and Calzaghe, that it will be a miss match, Calzaghe 36 and Hopkins 43, both of these men are still at the top of their profession, both of them fighting men a lot younger than themselves as the Kessler fight showed, and still beating them so this is not a mismatch, this is a fight to see who really is the best of the best and go down in the Boxing history books that will be spoken of in many many years from now. Hopkins said he wants to take away Calzaghe’s undefeated record in the Yankee Stadium and Calzaghe said come on then, now Hopkins is trying to wriggle out of it now he is backed into a corner facing the Welsh Warrior.

There is no way out for you now though Mr Hopkins because you were the one who asked for Calzaghe and he is now staring you in the face saying come on then.

The biggest fight of 2008 – Joe Calzaghe v Bernard Hopkins – The stuff history books are made of.

Not only did ‘The King of the Ring’ Joe Calzaghe pick up the prestigious No1 spot in British sports this year but his father Enzo also scooped an award as best trainer. Joe Calzaghe would not be where he is today, at the top of British sports if it was not for his father Enzo so this award is highly deserved and shows the recognition from everyone to the father who helped his son become undefeated undisputed World Champion, a British sporting icon and a soon to be international boxing legend.

I believe that Calzaghe senior winning an award was far more important to his son than his No1 spot, so for them to have both won awards must be very special for the both of them and their families.

The Calzaghe story from where it all began to where it is now is the stuff of Hollywood so don’t be surprised if you see a film in the future depicting this amazing legendry boxing story from its humble beginnings in the Welsh Valleys to global Boxing superstardom, the same as we see films on Mike Tyson and Ali – Maybe after JC has shown Mary Hopkins who really is the best, the book is closed and the final chapter in this story is written will this unique story be immortalized on the big screen.

The only trainer who I personally think has been able to transcend the sport of Boxing is Cus D’Amato, the man who shaped the most formidable Heavyweight to have ever stepped into the ring – Mike Tyson – What he created in Mike Tyson shocked the world and made the world look up, not just the boxing world but the whole world, others then destroyed that unique inspiring boxing legend once Cus D’Amato was gone.

In my mind the greatness of Enzo Calzaghe comes into the same category as the boxing trainer Cus D’Amato, Calzaghe senior has trained his son into an undefeated, undisputed 10 year world champion, who is undefeated in 17 years and he has created a stable of World Champion fighters, and all from walking through the doors of a local welsh gym as a complete novice with his son all those years back when this journey first began, the facts speak clearly for themselves that nobody can deny other than through jealousy – In my humble opinion Enzo Calzaghe is one of the greatest trainers to have ever lived, based on the facts.

’Team Calzaghe’ houses some of the best British fighters out there with the likes of Enzo
Macrinalle, and each of these World Champions come under the lead trainer Enzo Calzaghe.

Enzo Calzaghe is a legend in his own right and his achievements will also be spoken about long into the future when other up and coming fighters talk about the greats like Joe Calzaghe and who trained them. Their boxing life story in itself is the stuff of folklore; this truly is a blessed family and a blessed ‘Team’ who have the potential to be an inspiration to many.

Let us hope and pray that they are promoted properly in the coming years so that everyone of this generation and of the next hears and knows exactly who their sporting Jewel from the Welsh Valleys is, and that their achievements will live on into the future and into history, transcending the world of sport into everyday life.

Who knows God might bless ‘Team Calzaghe’ with a global superstar on the scale of Tyson once the reigning star, the Welsh Warrior has retired, you have everything that you need, with the most important piece being the head trainer - Calzaghe senior and his soon to be underling the undefeated, undisputed World Champion Joe Calzaghe, it doesn’t get much better than that does it.

2008 is going to be a good year for the Calzaghe camp, they go into it after a year of great achievement and recognition, with nothing left to prove other than for Joe Calzaghe to etch his name into the true boxing history books – I believe the story is already written - Golden boy’s decapitation

Pretty boy Floyd stated that Golden boy and Mayweather Inc is the future of boxing, then set up the Mary Hopkins clash, you know it’s a big one along with everyone else who knows it too, or is it just that your man Mr Hopkins knows within himself that he cannot beat Joe Calzaghe so would rather duck the fight.

Would be good to see if EA sports could afford to have ‘The King of the Ring’ Joe Calzaghe on the front of their 2008 game as well, I am sure it would be a collectors item if JC accomplishes his personal and professional goals in 2008. Imagine if you owned something similar from all those years back in Rocky Marciano’s day, do you think it would now be a collectors item, imagine 50 – 60 years from now, a computer game from 2008 where the 2008 ‘King of the Ring’ is immortalized – Can EA sports afford the Calzaghe endorsement?

Joe Calzaghe has a very long shelf life for all potential endorsements.

May God continue to bless ‘Team Calzaghe’, camp Calzaghe and brand Calzaghe.

Calzaghe – “The mark of a boxing greatness”

Further reading: The truth behind the tattoo’s

Further reading: Sporting Personality of 2007


Pretty boy Floyd - Money Mayweather

Being English it was a shame that Ricky ‘the hitman’ Hatton did not beat Pretty boy Floyd and bring his belt back to England for British fight fans, but he was beaten by an exceptional talent.

The analogy Pretty boy Floyd compared the fight too was like America playing football against Brazil, if we were American we would all want America to win and support them because that’s our team, but in reality Brazil is the better team.

I personally did not think Hatton could do it, not because of any lack in himself but because of who Floyd Mayweather is, you have to give him the utmost respect for getting out there, talking the fight up and then getting in the ring and giving it his all, but Floyd Mayweather is a unique boxing talent who knows God has placed him upon the Earth for a purpose and within the boxing ring he proves it time and time again, Pretty boy Floyd is one of the greatest boxers to have ever lived, if not the greatest, along with Joe Calzaghe.

These are both legendary undefeated World Champions but just in different contexts and categories living now in our generation.

Pretty boy Floyds first words after the fight with Hatton was “I thank God”, humble recognition to the World of the one who holds all things in His hands, including his boxing career.

Pretty boy Floyd has proved to the World once again that he is one of the greatest boxers of all time, and he has World title belts at several different weights to prove it.

I pray that Almighty God will continue to bless Money Mayweather as he stands tall for himself and His God within his world, with the rest of us looking on – A true American Sporting Hero

In my opinion Mr Floyd Mayweather is greater than Mohamed Ali, Ali achieved his iconic status within the American and international mind through his civil rights actions, within the boxing ring Pretty boy Floyd has surpassed him, to the point that there is no one at several different fighting weights to fight anymore because he has beaten them all, Ricky ‘the hitman’ Hatton was the last true contender because he was undefeated in 42 fights and Pretty boy Floyd won, he has nothing else to prove and nobody else to fight.

Why else does he retire from boxing?

Like he says; “I will retire from boxing and not let boxing retire me”

People rubbish his achievements now as if he does not come close to some of the past greats, but wait until the future looks back, they will acknowledge the greatness of this generations Floyd Mayweather.

If by chance you get to read this Pretty boy, I read somewhere that your making moves into the American Hip Hop industry, I look after the business interests of one of Britain’s most talented producers who is looking to transfer his skills into the Hip Hop scene, this guy is a unique talent who has the potential to give you platinum selling beats if you have the rappers to go over them, he is extremely accomplished within the U.K music scene that he currently works in, and could definitely be the next Scott Storch – Believe me this guy is exceptionally talented.

I am currently in the U.S and have some fresh beats from him if you get to read this and you or any people you know might be interested in the next biggest Hip Hop producer to hit the American shores, I am just waiting for God to open the doors for me to get this guy signed.

God bless you


Graham Earl v Amir Khan

Sadly Luton’s Graham Earl did not burst the ‘Amir Khan’ bubble on December 8th, so congratulations to Mr Khan and ‘Team Khan’ for their win.

The bubble is still intact and I wonder if Australia’s Katsidis now has his eyes on bursting it, Amir Khan is quick and has power but cannot fight a war, and Katsidis would definitely give him a war as we know from watching his fight against Graham Earl.

The Amir Khan giant was too big for Earl this time, he was placed as a sacrifice by the Amir Khan gods, set up for the fall and he fell.

I was the one who got my calculations wrong with this fight but know exactly where the miscalculation lays.

Everything was stacked against Earl, everything bar one thing, and he was over awed by it all and entered the ring unprepared with the outcome being as it was.

To have a promoter who owns both fighters at this level of the sport has got to be legally wrong when money bears an influence on the outcome of the fight. How can you have one of your fighters with everyone your involved with wanting him to win because of the investment and return in them and the other one everyone wanting to lose because they view him as being worthless.

Is this not a very serious conflict of interest for the underdog in question?

Look at the bubble that Amir Khan has been immersed in by everyone surrounding him including Frank Warren, Amir Khan has a lot more motivation not to lose do you not think?

What did Graham Earl have to help him, support him, motivate him and encourage him to win?

Almost nothing I expect compared to Amir Khan and the British boxing gods who are backing him.

I expect Frank Warren opened the door for Ryan Giggs and a few footballers to go and see Khan in his dressing room just before the fight to encourage him some more, did any Premiership footballers go and see Graham Earl before the fight? Did Frank Warren send anyone to go and see Graham Earl to encourage him?

Ryan Giggs’ career is almost over anyway its just sickening when you see double standards!!!

Amir Khan has the British media wanting him to win because he is a good picture boy, he has other sports personalities wanting and encouraging him to win because they look good being photographed with him and he has his promoter wanting him to win because of the revenue he generates.

Look at what Graham Earl faced!

How could it have been fair for Graham Earl to have Frank Warren as his promoter for the Amir Khan fight when in reality he wanted him to lose, you tell me how far some people would go to make sure someone loses? Ok Amir Khan was good and quick in the fight; he was just quickest off the mark against an opponent who was under prepared and had been set up to fall.

Frank Warren media was also slating Graham Earl as if he was a trash talker, more confidence deflating stuff to worry your mind with on top of everything else. From my observations it was Amir Khan who started the so called trash talking but have you heard anyone say anything negative about him regarding it? No it is all pushed onto Graham Earl.

Talking up a fight is not trash talking, saying you’re going to eat someone’s children, kill them in the ring or physically bite them is trash talking and Graham Earl is a bit more dignified than that.

Graham Earl had been sidelined all year after the Katsidis fight while Amir Khan fought several fights honing his skills, Earl sat on his No1 spot because his promoter would not match him with anyone, was that because they wanted to hold him back as an under prepared fighter to fight a prepared Amir Khan, so that Amir Khan could topple him and move on – Manipulating your stable of fighters at the detriment of certain fighters with 30 years experience of honing the skill?

That’s how it looks to me.

Frank Warren was in a win win situation with this fight because no matter what the outcome they are both his fighters, you tell me which one out of the two he wanted to win though?

Graham Earl said that the time out of the ring did not worry him because he is a professional, what else is he going to say?

You have to talk the fight and build your confidence and self belief somehow, look at the Ricky Hatton build up to the Mayweather fight as an example, but at least they were both fighting for independent promoters so it was a neutral fight.

After the fight I heard Graham Earl say that this is his division, either that was him not wanting to let go or he really meant it and the fight was stopped to early as he has stated. If it is his division then he must topple Thaxton and clean up the domestic division again and show people that he means business, he has stated that he now has the hunger back, and I hope that the Amir Khan upset has increased that hunger 10 times.

People within boxing were saying that he should retire now, that he is a has been, if he should retire and is a has been then why was he promoted as Britain’s No1 and European No2 by Frank Warren before the Amir Khan fight?

If he was British No1 and European No2 before the fight them I am sure those few punches have not taken too much out of him and that he still is a potential World Champion or is there no one to promote him now because FW has his golden boy so Earl can be thrown on the scrap heap, as if he has had his time.

Earl trained hard for this fight so he is in condition to fight early in the New Year, but fight free from his existing promoter Frank Warren, then you will see a different story to Graham Earl.

I also heard Earl say the rematch is going to be worth a lot more money, is that the rematch with Khan if he beats Katsidis, or Katsidis if he beats Khan.

There is a journey to a World title it’s just not on a Frank Warren map and depends on whether you want it.

Frank Warren owns the monopoly on British boxing a little like Don King did at one time in America, so let us hope that there is a movement across the British boxing landscape like there has been in America with Golden boy and Mayweather Inc being the future of American boxing, bringing their ethics and integrity into the sport in their part of the World.

I am sure that Graham Earl knows exactly who his friends are now within the sport after this Amir Khan fight, it is sometimes good to go through things because you can work a lot of things out for the future.

I just call on anyone out in their in boxing fraternity who has read this, to touch down with Graham Earl before Christmas, to encourage him about the future and his future prospects.

Or is everyone out there an Amir Khan supporter?