Boxing: Calzaghe calls it a day as undefeated world champ.Byline: BY MARK STANIFORTH JOE CALZAGHE Joe Calzaghe (born 23 March, 1972 in Hammersmith, London England) is a Welsh boxer of Italian and Welsh descent, who is nicknamed "The Pride of Wales". He currently lives in Cwmbran, Wales, and is one of the pound for pound top 10 boxers in the world according to the Ring Magazine. has confirmed his intention to write his name in the record books alongside Rocky Marciano by retiring as an undefeated world champion after winning all 46 of his professional fights. The 36-year-old Welshman admitted he had been forced to take "one of the toughest decisions of my life" but said his desire to preserve his unbeaten record helped him make up his mind after months of soul-searching. Calzaghe said: "There's always the temptation to fight on, especially if you are the champ and no-one has ever beaten you. But I've come to a point where the satisfaction of retiring undefeated has to outweigh the thrill of another fight." Calzaghe's last fight was a dazzling points win over Roy Jones in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of in November, a fight which fulfilled his final remaining boxing ambition of headlining a show at Madison Square Garden Current arenas in the National Hockey League Western Conference Eastern Conference . But there were plenty of tempting offers to fight on including lucrative rematches with either Jones or Bernard Hopkins. Calzaghe added: "I've achieved every goal I've ever set myself in the ring - there are no more mountains left to climb." A triple ABA champion as an amateur, Calzaghe claimed his first world title when he outpointed Chris Eubank to win the WBO WBO World Boxing Organization WBO Western Buddhist Order WBO Wehrbeschwerdeordnung WBO World Bamboo Organization (formerly International Bamboo Association) WBO Won by One (Malibu, California; a cappella group) super-middleweight belt in Sheffield in 1997. He would go on to make 21 straight defences of that title and beat Mikkel Kessler to unify the 12st titles before going to Las Vegas to edge past lightheavyweight great Hopkins. CAPTION(S): Joe Calzaghe |
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