Classy Calzaghe confirms his status

BOXING LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT CONTEST: THIS WAS to be one of two things, the renaissance of an ageing American and one-time boxing prodigy, Roy Jones Jnr, or, the making of Joe Calzaghe.

Madison Square Garden was dressed in all of its national US finery, the Star Spangled Banner, the military presence in the ring before the fight began and 14,157 fans crowded in to New York City's famous Seventh Avenue venue.

For the romantic, the question was whether Jones could somehow have regained the powers that made him an eight -time world champion over four different weight divisions. Could he cajole and coax out the speed and power than had made him the best pound for pound fighter in the world.

But not for the first time in the chequered history of world boxing champions stepping back into the ring for one last chance at glory, this one ended grotesquely for the American. Instead the bout of the year turned out to be the humiliation of a champion at the hands of an unbeaten Welshman, who threw twice as many punches, 985 to 475, of which 344 landed, the most from any Jones opponent in 31 fights.

Calzaghe was supremely in control throughout the 12 rounds and rather than Jones's rebirth at 39 years old, it became, with Calzaghe's record nudging up to 46-0, the coronation of the 36-year-old as indisputably the best fighter of his division in the world.

Calzaghe will look to this Ring Magazine light heavyweight fight and see it as the ticket to recognition in the sport that has been slow in coming on this side of the Atlantic. Jones's scalp represented kudos and also now great opportunity.

On his highly publicised retirement before the win, Calzaghe became non-committal. "I'm 36, nearly 37 now. I said before the fight that it was going to be my last but I'll go home and think about it, talk it over with my family," he said vaguely.

The nature of the win will likely encourage a rethink. Beating Jones will have a resonance throughout America and the manner of it will have won over even the most sceptical.

Although Calzaghe went down in the first round when Jones caught him with a left forearm across the bridge of the nose, which put him on the canvas, drawing a gasp form the crowd of which at least half were Welsh, it was the only round the American won from the three judges, who all scored it 118-109.

"That's what champions are made of," said Calzaghe. "When I went down I composed myself, got back up and started to box. I knew I was hurt but took my time and didn't panic. After that I felt fine. I didn't see the punch. But I've been down before.

"I felt very relaxed tonight with my hands by my side. That's just my style. I'm overwhelmed at the moment. It took me eight years to get a unification fight and I was incredibly frustrated. I wanted to show the world that I was a true champion who would get the big, big fights that I wanted."

It was a raging Calzaghe that opened as Jones danced around, his hands typically low as he tried to pick off the more aggressive fighter and although Calzaghe went down, his fury and forward prowling did not subside in any of the succeeding rounds as the home fans waited patiently for Jones to fire up, take off, find his rhythm. But it never arrived.

For long periods it appeared as if Calzaghe's dominance was so complete and one-sided that Jones must have had conceived a tactic that would encourage Calzaghe to somehow punch himself out.

And for all of Calzaghe's flurries, which arrived at regular intervals throughout the next six rounds, Jones's powers diminished further. The Welshman was playing with the former best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Just as Jones had once done with other fighters in his prime, so Calzaghe was doing to him.

In the seventh round, Calzaghe opened a wound under Jones's left eye with a left and glorious technicolour was then added to highlight the fact this was becoming a beating. But Calzaghe continued to shake his hips and flap his arms in jest and for the few punches a constantly backing-off American landed, Calzaghe replied with a multiple.

His father, Enzo, had said earlier in the week both fighters would both be looking for each other's heart and so it was Calzaghe who won that battle, plucking out the will of the man from Florida in an 11-round demonstration of breathless superiority.

"I believe I went in better to this fight than I did for the (Bernard) Hopkins fight," said the champion. "It was a fairytale fight, a fairytale ending. I enjoyed the fight except for the first round. Roy hung in and came back and he was always dangerous."

Calzaghe has now beaten six former world champions and is placed second, behind Joe Louis, on the all-time record list of consecutive victories in a single weight class. He is also the longest reigning champion and has not lost since he beat Paul Hanlon in Wales in 1993 on his professional debut. In the demolition of Jones he has also beaten the last fighter of significance.

"I'm just out of the ring man," said Calzaghe when pressed on his future. "I don't know what I'm going to do next or who I'm going to fight. I'm not a sadist man."

Jones just slipped away. One of his management team came down into the bowels of Madison Square Garden to thank everyone, while his former champion received medical attention. But at the end of the fight Jones was seen mouthing into Calzaghe's ear all that we need to know.

"You're the man," said Jones embracing him. And so he was.