A Knockout Hit - Joe Calzaghe

07-04-2006 11:49

Music to enter the ring to

"I like music with a fast beat - I’m a fast fighter with a fast tempo so I like music that picks me up a bit, so Linkin Park or The Prodigy, something that gets me psyched."

Football or Boxing

"I can’t betray my sport but if I was as good a footballer as I am a boxer then obviously I’d chose to be a footballer. You don’t need to work for a living. God, you get paid £100,000 a week just to kick a ball around. What an easy living. They don’t know how easy they have it. They all whinge about playing two or three times a week - come and have a few weeks in the gym and we’ll see how easy it is."

Boxing footballers?

"Roy Keane could probably be a good fighter. He seems like he wants to kick ass when he’s on the field, he looks pretty tough. He looks like he could probably fight a bit. He could possibly be a good fighter. After a few pints of Guinness you never know, maybe he could have me, nah I’d still have him."

Hardest fight ever

"The hardest fight so far was the Chris Eubank fight. I’d never been 12 rounds before. To do it in front of a massive crowd, I was so nervous. I knocked him down after about 12 seconds and he got back up. I tried my best to knock him out in the first round but he just looked at me at the end of the round and smiled. I was knackered after about 3 rounds to be honest but I wanted it so bad. I felt I had nothing left after 7 or 8 and I managed to hold on to the end. I was aching for weeks after that fight."

The pain

"You don’t feel it. Adrenaline is a natural painkiller. A body shot hurts more than a punch to the head. Until recently I’d never been down - your lights go out for a few seconds and you don’t know much about it. The biggest pain I’ve ever had is in my left hand and that’s been like that since I was 14."

Career mistakes

"I wish I had been with Frank Warren from the start. I was frustrated for my first 21 fights - that handicapped my career. Frank would have made me massive but maybe it was meant to be. I don’t regret anything, I’ve always believed I would get this massive fight."

The Calzaghe statue

"I read that Frank was going to pay for a statue in my home town. I hope not. Most people who have a statue are dead so I hope not. Maybe one day, but not yet."

Technology problems

"I got an iPod for Christmas from my girlfriend but I haven’t worked out how to use it yet. I’m blaming the computer, there’s a problem with that so as soon as it’s fixed I’ll throw away the Walkman and work out how to download the tracks."

Women boxing

"I don’t think women should box. For fitness I suppose but I don’t think it’s right. It doesn’t look right, seeing two women hitting each other. There is a market for it - if you look at Ali’s daughter, she gets paid more than some world champions. As long as people want to see it they’ll be a market."

Time travel

"If I could box anybody from any era I’d pick Marvin Haggler. It would be interesting to see how we got on, but I’m not scared of anyone in the world."

Fitness regime

"After watching Rocky I tried drinking raw eggs but it made me sick. I’ve never been one for getting up early either. If you put in the work you get the rewards. I don’t skip either, not for about 15 years. It’s a bit of a girly thing too."

Best advice

"I came very close to pulling out of the Jeff Lacey fight. My dad said ‘if you pull out you will always be known as a chicken’. I’d injured myself quite badly 3 or 4 weeks before the fight and was going to pull out but my dad convinced me not to. I’m so pleased he did as I would never have achieved what I have now."

Couldn’t make it to the Palace for his MBE

"I can’t remember why, I think I was training, but I couldn’t make it to the Palace so I had a local ceremony. The Queen couldn’t make it to Newport when I was available unfortunately."

Ambitions

"To be a light heavyweight champion, a two weight champion."

Tune in to see what really gets to Joe, as he discusses his Catch Orange Playlist on Friday 7th April on ITV1 at 11.30pm to see Joe Calzaghe as you’ve never seen him before - against the ropes with Jane Middlemiss!

The Orange Playlist 7th April 11:30pm ITV1

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