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Calzaghe dominates Jones to retain title

Sun 09 Nov, 06:34 AM


Joe Calzaghe Hits Roy Jones Jr. In Their Light Heavyweight Boxing Match

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By Larry Fine

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Briton Joe Calzaghe recovered from an early knockdown to dominate American Roy Jones Jr. and win a unanimous decision to retain his Ring Magazine light heavyweight title Saturday.

Calzaghe, 36, was cut on the nose and dropped by a left-right combination late in the opening round but then thoroughly overwhelmed the former eight-times world champion to improve his record to 46-0.

The 39-year-old Jones, who had blood pouring down his face after suffering a gash over his left eye in the seventh round, fell to 52-5.

The Welshman won every other round of the fight after the first, peppering Jones with swift combinations, taking the offensive and mocking the American's showy style by dropping his hands and daring him to hit back.

"He stunned me with a good shot in the first round but that is what champions are all about," Calzaghe told reporters. "I've been down before but I've also got back up. When you put me down, I come back stronger."

In his previous bout, Calzaghe's first in the United States, the Welshman bounced back from a first-round knockdown to win a split decision against American Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas.

"This year I beat two legends. I took the risk. I came to the United States and I beat both those guys. Tonight I beat Roy Jones," Calzaghe said. "I made it happen."

Jones caught Calzaghe on the bridge of the nose with a straight left and followed it with a right cross to the jaw, dropping the Welshman with about 40 seconds to go in the first.

UNRELENTING AGGRESSION

That seemed to incense the Welshman, who pinned Jones against the ropes and into the corners with unrelenting aggression and a steady stream of jabs and hooks as the American grew increasingly defensive.

By the end of the fight, Jones's cornermen could not stem the blood and the former champion bled throughout the final rounds.

"He won the fight, he definitely won the fight," said Jones, who before the bout described many of Calzaghe's punches as "pitty-pat."

"The pitty-pats were a lot harder than I thought."

All three judges scored the bout 118-109 for Calzaghe.

Before the fight, Calzaghe indicated he might retire from the ring after crowning his career with victory over Jones but the Welshman said he would take time before making a decision.

"I'm going to go home and talk to my family and think about it," he said, before thanking the raucous, singing Welsh fans among the crowd of 14,152 at the Garden, and delivering a message to his mother back home.

"Hey mom," he said, looking into a TV camera. "I love you. I'm sorry if I made you nervous in the first round."

(Reporting by Larry Fine; Editing by Ed Osmond)

 

Comment 23 - 42 of 102

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  1. WELL DONE JOE YOU ARE THE BEST AND IM SO PROUD TO BE WELSH.

    From paul.roberts10@..., on Sun 9 Nov 10:33AM

  2. Well done Joe, you are a true 'British' champion, one of the all time greats and undefeated to boot!! As for Batroc, let him have his say, he obviously knows his stuff. I mean, by the sounds of it he's been battered around the ring a few times!!
    You the man Joe!!!

    From anthony, on Sun 9 Nov 10:32AM

  3. joes a great fighter but lacks a knock out punch

    From rodneyfiddis, on Sun 9 Nov 10:31AM

  4. batroc knows f@ ? all!dipyn o pwdr rhwng clystiau batroc dwin meddwl,cymru am byth!

    From josclwch, on Sun 9 Nov 10:29AM

  5. Well done Joe. You deserved it. You are a true Boxing hero. Good Luck and Best Wishes.

    From lorrainetyas5@..., on Sun 9 Nov 10:27AM

  6. Very nice to have a great Welsh champion but i thought Joe overdid the mockery .He should have shown more respect for a gallant opponent .At times he was worse than Naseem Hamed and I found myself cringing at his antics.Suprised no one else has picked up on this .from john flintman

    From john, on Sun 9 Nov 10:27AM

  7. Well done joe, i'm sure all the bad comments made on here would'nt be said to your face, cowards!!!!!!!!!

    From rewandjew, on Sun 9 Nov 10:25AM

  8. Batroc ! You are a deluded fool. Ducking opponents. He won the title off of Eubank and put him down in the process. And you seem to have forgotten about Jeff Lacey, a man some branded the new Tyson. Joe gave him such a beating and a boxing lesson that he is now shellshocked and probably washed up. Well done Joe. You are a legend in most of boxing fans eyes. Some, like Batroc just dont have a clue. bigmac65

    From macca1965@..., on Sun 9 Nov 10:24AM

  9. legend

    From bensleath20@..., on Sun 9 Nov 10:24AM

  10. he needs to stop hiding and fight froch but that will never happen

    From allan, on Sun 9 Nov 10:21AM

  11. Joe a legend?-you are having a laugh!Well, his management managed to pull the maximum amount of wedge from journeymen bouts.If he fought anyone that was any good they made sure that they were past their best.He spent most of his professional career avoiding any decent opposition that might have actually given him fight to remember.Stick to the rugby because you obviously know sod all about Boxing.Lol

    From lol, on Sun 9 Nov 10:19AM

  12. Everyone keeps going on about being proud of your nationality (where you were born!). He is English, Calzaghe was born in Hammersmith, west London, England. His Mother is Welsh, his father is Italian. Anyway, well done mate!!

    From matthew s, on Sun 9 Nov 10:19AM

  13. if joe is that great why does he always avoid carl froch because he knows he will get knocked out

    From allan, on Sun 9 Nov 10:17AM

  14. joe who ?

    From michael, on Sun 9 Nov 10:14AM

  15. I don't care that he's welsh, he brilliant, I take it kessler was a no hoper then?? you @#$%, what sort of a statement was that. Joe is the best middleweight of all time and will be remembered as that...

    From robmarsh999@..., on Sun 9 Nov 10:11AM

  16. Wat a joke tristan wake up man hes not from
    England hes welsh

    From F M, on Sun 9 Nov 10:10AM

  17. ROY jONES jR IS WASHED UP & HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS. CALZAGHE JUST WANTS TO BEAT UP OLD PAST IT LEGENDS.

    From ashleytheophane, on Sun 9 Nov 10:09AM

  18. da iawn joe,bois y cwar

    From huw.coch@..., on Sun 9 Nov 10:09AM

  19. i think the reason he is not renowned is he has never boxed in it until now and he fights roy jones in his twighlight yrs i am afraid i dont see him as an all timegreat aas for the dope who said M ALI who he must have fought one to many

    From JOHN K, on Sun 9 Nov 10:08AM

  20. brilliant. love seeing loud mouths shut, roy jones had a big one.

    From tomcullen985@..., on Sun 9 Nov 10:07AM
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