Joe Calzaghe: ‘James DeGale gets criticised like me’

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WIDELY considered one of the UKโ€™s best ever boxers, Joe Calzaghe dominated the super-middleweight division and retired with his unbeaten record intact, scalping the likes of Mikkel Kessler, Jeff Lacy, Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jnr. Currently celebrating the release of a new film (Mr Calzaghe) focusing on his time in the ring, Joe has been able to reflect on his own career, while also casting a keen eye over some of Britainโ€™s current leading fighters.

Are you happy with the film?

Yeah, absolutely. Iโ€™m happy with it, Iโ€™m pretty proud of it. Iโ€™m a very proud family man and Iโ€™m also very private. Watching it back, itโ€™s very emotional. My grandfather passed away earlier this year, heโ€™s the original Joe Calzaghe, โ€˜The Godfatherโ€™. He worked hard all his life, he was an amazing guy. I gave him my first belt. He passed away at 90, itโ€™s a pity he couldnโ€™t be here, but the filmโ€™s dedicated to him. I think the film is not just for boxing fans, itโ€™s got a story and it tells the story of where Iโ€™m from, and there are a lot of things in there that not many people know, like me being bullied in school. Other things as well, like me being injured all the time. So itโ€™s not all rosy being an undefeated boxer. I got told by a specialist when I was 17 that I would never box again because of a wrist injury. I didnโ€™t box for a year-and-a-half, but I still had the belief and the support of my family. So itโ€™s a celebration, not just of my career, but also the support of my family, especially my dad [Enzo].

As you say, youโ€™ve always been quite a private person, so what made you want to do the film?

I got approached about two years ago. Iโ€™ve been living in London for about five years and Iโ€™ve been approached by directors and so on and they said, โ€˜Joe, we want to do a movie on you, a feature film.โ€™ So they sent me the scripts but it wasnโ€™t really the right time. Then two years ago I met [the filmโ€™s director] Vaughan [Sivell] and had a chat with him. Iโ€™m happy in my own skin away from boxing, if you know what I mean. I can look back and think, โ€˜Wow, was that me? Did I do that?โ€™ So Iโ€™m proud reflecting on it and looking back. Itโ€™s nice for my dad to remember it and for my sons and my mum to get involved, so it just felt right. I wanted to get my passion across, not just about being a champion. At first I wasnโ€™t sure because Iโ€™m quite private, but Iโ€™m glad I went through with it. Iโ€™ve had a great response.

Do you keep an eye on the super-middleweights?

Not really. Itโ€™s gone downhill since I left!

The division leader is James DeGale now.

Yeah, I like James, heโ€™s a pal of mine. I can sympathise with him as well because he gets criticism like the criticism I used to get for years. People like him, heโ€™s got fast hands, heโ€™s a little bit spicy like me. I like him. Heโ€™s a bit brash but thatโ€™s a good attitude to have, it does good business and as long as he doesnโ€™t lose again now he has the title, I think heโ€™ll do really well.

Heโ€™s a work in progress. Like me when I fought Chris Eubank, I was gassed after seven rounds and I struggled a bit. Although heโ€™s world champion, the experience of fighting 12 rounds with top-quality fighters doesnโ€™t come overnight. I fought Eubank in โ€™97 and then beat [Jeff] Lacy nine years later โ€“ I was a completely different animal.

Heโ€™s learning all the time, but Iโ€™ve always been impressed with him. He can go on to big things.

This interview was originally published in Boxing News magazine

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