osheasport.co.uk  - the home of sporting opinion

So another weekend of non-stop sporting action is over. It seems like hyperbole to say that sport never stops amazing it's fans, but as ever, it is simply true.

This weekend saw another topsy turvy set of results for the Premiership. Blackburn eased their troubles with a routine 2-0 win over Wigan, and as forecast by this site 2 weeks after Sam Allardyce took over, they look like they will scrap their way to safety.

Sunderland on the other hand lurch from crisis to crisis, attempting to help Newcastle and Middlesbrough in their quest to rid the Premier League of it's North East influence. Their 3-0 capitulation against West Brom could not have come at a worse time, and indeed gives the Baggies belief that they could once again pull off the great escape, as they did in 2005.

At the top end, Manchester United were staring down the proverbial barrel, only to blast Tottenham Hotspur away with 4 goals in 14 second half minutes. While the penalty decision was a strange decision for England's best referee to make, there was an ominous feeling about the way Manchester United started the second half and as soon as the first goal went in, others were sure to follow.

Boxing highlights saw Carl Froch pull off an incredible comeback victory against Jermain Taylor, stopping the American with 14 seconds of the fight to go. Having picked himself up off the canvas for the first time in his career, he showed similar spirit to that of Calzaghe in his final two fights on American soil, and Froch was quick to call Calzaghe out of his 'armchair' after the fight. Calzaghe will no doubt have been impressed by Froch's performance, but in all reality is unlikely to risk the unbeaten record he takes so much pride in.

Formula One continues to impress too, with the BBC coverage and Jenson Button getting better by the week. His victory at the weekend was easily his best of the season yet, as he took the chequered flag and an 11 point lead in the Championship from 4th on the grid. His transformation from dole queue to World Championship contender must rank amongst the greatest turnarounds in the history of the sport.

So what does this week have in store? Topping the bill is two mouth-watering Champions League semi-finals, as Chelsea take on Barcelona on Tuesday night, and then Manchester United and Arsenal do battle on Wednesday. Two pulsating ties in prospect, and with the attacking line-ups on show, goals guaranteed (cue two 0-0 results). Have a cheeky bet on a repeat of the 2006 Final, with Arsenal and Barcelona looking the more relaxed of the four sides left.

Manchester United's heroics at the weekend mean a third consecutive Premier League title is within sight, but they have looked jittery at the back for some time now. Given the style and verve with which Arsenal beat Middlesbrough too, United are going to need to be back on the sort of form which saw them take the clean sheet record earlier this season.

Outside of actual sport, Ryan Giggs took home the PFA Player of the Year award, as predicted here too. Despite making just 12 league starts, Giggs takes the award as recognition for his long service to Manchester United and the Premier League, and in the absence of any other outstanding candidate was deserving of it too.

His nomination can be put down to one man aside from himself, and one he was quick to thank in his receipt of the award - Sir Alex Ferguson. Giggs came from nowhere to claim the prize, and that his candidature came about was only after Sir Alex put the idea in everyone's head in an interview back in January. The Scot certainly knows how to flex his muscles, and his team selection on Wednesday will say much about whether he considers Giggs to really be the Player of the Year. 

We await with baited breath...

Carl Froch is due to defend his WBC super-middleweight title on Saturday 25th April, desperate to add Jermain Taylor to the list of men that have fought him and lost.

Like his predecessor Joe Calzaghe, who was undisputed champion of the division not so long ago, Nottingham-born Froch is undefeated in 24 fights, winning 19 of them by knockout. He came through a tough, bruising encounter against Canadian Jean Pascal last December to win the title, and is now setting about defending it.

As Britain's sole World Champion then, having held as many as 12 not 2 years ago, why will Froch's bout be unavailable to the British public on television?

Froch and his promoters point to the economic crisis. Setanta and ITV were ultimately unwilling to pay the amount Froch felt he deserved, and so they blame it on the lack of cash floating around these days. However, it may be because Froch simply, and for whatever reason, has not caught the public's imagination.

Amir Khan and James DeGale sprung up in front of Britain by securing medals at Olympic Games, ensuring immediate fame and TV time. Froch has built himself up slowly, in a similar way to Calzaghe, at an unfashionable weight limit, on limited resources.

Froch is fighting Jermain Taylor, a man who has beaten great, great fighters, and one of the biggest names accross the continent, and he's fighting an unbeaten British fighter - this is a fight that should be available to the general public, but it's  not. And the fact of the matter is, that no-one will care or mind, because it is only boxing fans that even know he exists it seems.

This is a boxer who, like Calzaghe, may have to go through some regulation fights, and defend his title a lot longer than most would in order to get the recognition he deserves. He is unfashionable, quiet and not seen playing the 'fame game' at film premieres and club openings. This is a boxer who knuckles down and works.

Mark my words that whatever the outcome, Taylor will know he's been in a fight. And if, and it's a big, massive if, Froch can win, and win well, perhaps his next fight will be in the limelight, and not suffering a TV blackout.

Even by sport's standards, this weekend was a strange one. Expect the unexpected they always say, but expect it all to happen at once?? They may have to incorporate that into it from now.

A weekend of unexpected results started in the heart of Manchester, as Liverpool recorded the most remarkable of victories in the face of a Manchester United side effectively unbeaten since November 8th. Men (Vidic) normally calm in the heat of battle floundered, and the class of Messrs Gerrard and Torres shone through the dire grey kit and saw them record a stunning 4-1 victory. Alex Ferguson's deluded claim that his was the better side showed all the traits of a man with wounded pride, but rest assured he'll be asking his side to respond like a wounded animal. 

The smart money says his side will at the very least claim the Premiership once more, (remember the defeat at Stamford Bridge last year), but Saturday's result sure as hell makes it a more interesting run-in.

Manchester was also the venue for Amir Khan's decision victory over Marco Antonio Barrera. While not Khan's biggest fan, it still irks me to see his victory greeted with boos. Yes it was a little on the calculated side, taking on a legend well past his best, and yes, the fight should have been stopped to leave a 'no decision'. But is any of that Khan's fault? And should he be derided for it? The simple answer is no. Something tells me nothing would have curtailed the boos in any case. But, he beat what was before him, and that is simply all he can do.

The same can technically be said of the Welsh rugby team and Italy as they stumbled past rather than beat what was before them. There was little satisfaction in the stumble though. 1/25 favourites before the game, the Welsh went as far as they could to prove that they are much better when the underdogs, which bodes well for next weekends decider in Cardiff.

England were a side transformed however. The statistics point to an even game, but statistics are just a guideline, and the truth of the matter was that England could have scored more. The French looked dazed. So often they turn it on when you least expect it, but not once did they really threaten England, who made it to the gain-line and beyond on more occasions than I care to remember. Keeping all 15 men on the field was the talk pre-match, but it nearly got to the stage where you were talking about all 15 min scoring come the post-match talk. Second place could yet be theirs.

In other sport, (McLaren the F1 team, not Steve) declared themselves 'lacking competitivity', which will be a blow to Hamilton's great hopes. It should make for an interesting Championship. Brawn GP, Ferrari and Renault all look quick and slick in testing, but nothing is going to deter me from my January prediction that Fernando Alonso will reign again in 2009. 

All in all, it was an excellent weekend (what weekend isn't?) in sport, and for those of you who missed it, merely confirmed my suspicions that British teams need to be the underdog to perform. Why? We'll probably never know, but it makes for great, unpredictable drama.

Joe Calzaghe reitred undefeated last week. Most experts and fellow fighters declare him the best British boxer of his generation and all advise him to stay retired. However, even at the moment he chose to announce his retirement he could "never say never" to the potential of a comeback.

Sport is littered with these stories. All-time greats coming back until they've ruined their legacy. The greatest, Muhammed Ali couldn't resist it, neither could Michael Jordan or Martina Hingis and Lance Armstrong was added to that list a short while ago.

Frank Warren suggested Calzaghe would return if the money was right. A naive comment made by a man currently embroiled in a legal battle with his former charge. To suggest that Calzaghe, a man who has only ever publicly spoken of his desire to win and not earn, would be motivated by money was foolish. Calzaghe is as down-to-earth a sportsman as you are likely to find these days, choosing to train in a gym in Newbridge with his father over any comfort that his money could buy him.

So if money is unlikely to be a reason for a Calzaghe comeback, what would be? Why have those aforementioned sportsmen and women come back?

When Lance Armstrong announced an end to his retirement people asked the same question: Why? He's worth over £100million, so probably not that then. He won the Tour de France 7 times in a row, so it's unlikely to be to satisfy a feeling of under-achievment. He claimed it was to raise awareness of the global battle against cancer, but coming from a man who has raised nearly £150 million for cancer research, this claim could be hollow.

In no way am I doubting his integrity but just as with all those other sportstars who have come back, there's more to it than that. Lance Armstrong has a global profile and if he wanted to step up his campaign, he could without riding again.

The crux of the matter is that he and others who have made comebacks like him will all have thought it still within them to produce the goods. They look at the contenders of today and still think: 'I could beat you'. That desire is what separates the great from the good.

An average man in an average job will finish work and retire in his sixties. Sportsmen tend to retire in their thirties, half-way to the stage where they feel like stopping.

Calzaghe was right to say 'never say never' - if he didn't he'd risk sounding a fool months or years down the line. He doesn't know how he'll feel in a years time, a little bit bored, watching Chad Dawson or another 'pretender' holding the belts that were previously his.

He's best off out of it, in the same way Jordan, Ali and the like were. But you try telling him that.

To look at Martin Johnson's face on Saturday, was to look at a man being worn down. The expression suggested a heavy defeat not a 25-point victory, but it was of course the manner of the victory that will have disturbed him. 

In the same way Heath Ledger's Joker haunted Summer '08 with the immortal words 'Why so serious?', Gatland fired an immediate warning following Wales' victory: 'It is a good position to be in' he said, 'There are a lot of things we can improve and work on.' Johnson will of course hope Gatland's words were also for the cameras, but the way Wales swatted Scotland aside will mean England go to Cardiff in hope, not expectation.

Had Italy not decided to ludicrously experiment with Bergamasco at scrum-half, they might have been celebrating a famous result - England were bad, Bergamasco was worse.

Rafa Benitez wore the very same look until Fernando Torres came to his rescue a minute from time. Rafa probably wouldn't look so worried if he didn't a) Buy a £20million striker and then sell him for £8million less 6 months later, b) leave his best players on the bench in big games and c) have that goatee.

Sir Alex never messes with hairstyles or facial hair and he couldn't look less serious right now, even though you know he is on a mission. He even managed a laugh and a joke about Giggs' winning goal, suggesting it 12 years since the last goal with his right foot, when he knows full well it's longer than that.

The managerial merry-go-round stopped twice yesterday, first on the South Coast and then in the capital. Big Phil and Tony Adams were the unlucky men, and their respective clubs now begin the search for saviours.

Adams claimed to be 'surprised' more than anything, but given his managerial record during his tenure and prior to it, it really wasn'tt hat surprising. And whilst Big Phil's Chelsea were world-beaters in late summer, hapless displays against big contenders and the small fish sealed his fate.

Linked to the Chelsea job are the usual suspects (Hiddink, Mancini, Riijkard), plus an old friend, Avram Grant. Seriously. In all fairness, he never deserved the sack in the first place, but only in the crazy world of football could such a turnaround be possible. Not good enough in June, Abramovich wants him to complete a similar damage-limitation job to the one he did following Messiah Mourinho. If Avram grants him his wish (sorry), be sure to watch out for an interesting end to the season.

Portsmouth of course are not quite on the same playing field, and Alan Curbishley and the like are the names trotted out for this one. Anyone linked would do well to stay clear. No-one can do the job Harry Redknapp did except Harry himself and Portsmouth are plummeting.

In other sport, the England cricket team did it's very best to defy belief and scale new lows, barely making a 50 total in their second innings. Alastair Cook claims that no major changes are necessary, but anyone who takes that seriously needs to re-watch that second innings again, and again in case they blink and miss it.

Super-Middle and light-heavyweight champion Joe Calzaghe retired undefeated, although he did say "never say never" to the prospect of a comeback. Having defeated everyone put before him in the last 20 years, he joins legends Floyd Mayweather and Rocky Marciano as undefeated fighters at the very top of the game. He is rightly the Pride of Wales.

Bonne semaine!

How ironic boxing should deliver a few days to not only re-capture my imagination but to put aside my frustration too. Just after I was thinking there was the merest of light at the end of the tunnel.

First and foremost, my lambasting of former greats donning the gloves beyond their bed-time was well and truly put to shame by Shane Mosley. Mosley rolled back the years to stop Margarito and claim the WBA Welterweight title on Saturday night. At any stage in his career, stopping Margerito would have been an achievment considering he'd never previously been stopped, but to do so at the age of 37 is truly remarkable.

Mosley's hand and foot speed won him a bout which most bookmakers and pundits thought was beyond him. After all, Margerito had beaten the unbeaten Cotto in his previous fight to claim the WBA title, but was unable to defend it against an envigoured Mosley. Most famous for his defeat of De La Hoya, he can now bask in the glory of a fourth stint as World Champion.

On top of that, much of my grumbling came from the lack of certainty regarding the Macaranelli, Haye and Hatton fights. This weekend Hatton has confirmed his bout with Pacquaio, and Macaranelli with Ramirez. As long as those fights stay concerned, there is much the British boxing fan can look forward to.

Some of the comments I made in my last boxing piece, I think were taken out of context. I love boxing. Some people think it's barbaric, but it can be a brutal and beautiful sport, and is incredibly underestimated in this sense.

However, it can't be argued that it has not been shooting itself in the foot in recent times - with cancelled fights and past-masters taking up all the big fights and not performing. Hopefully this weekend might signal a change in fortune for the much-maligned sport. A couple of cracking high-profile fights and the fans flood back.

Let's hope Barrera takes Khan to school, because that's what deserves to happen, and that Hatton and the Pac-man produce worthy of the millions they will be paid. Because if they do, boxing will continue in the ascendancy, without doubt.

So 2008 saw the viewing for boxing matches slip even further, and so continue the trend that has dominated recent years. As UFC has become more and more popular, boxing has lots its fans and viewers.

What you have to ask yourself is why this has happened? Many people have touched on this subject before and have correctly suggested the glamour of the UFC and the one single organisation running it means a Champion, is a Champion. These I believe, are correct in their own right, but not the only contributing factors.

No-one has really touched on the fact that boxing may indeed be killing itself. Where are the great fighters of this day and age? Because, for every Joe Calzaghe and Floyd Mayweather Jr of this generation, there are 10 boxers, not worthy of shining Ali, Foreman and Marciano's boots, competing for World titles.

On top of that the legends of the modern era, the Jones Jr's' the De la Hoyas, the Barreras and the Holyfields are either deluded into thinking they can still fight on, or simply looking for a big pay day. Either way it demeans the sport, and means that even when a promising young fighter comes through, it is increasingly difficult to get the big fights, which are all dominated by the big names of yester-year.

That Audley Harrison, ultimately a massive failure as a professional boxer, can still harbour hopes of a World title is nothing short of pathetic. Danny Williams and Matt Skelton, two limited British boxers have both had World title shots and neither would live in times gone by.

In all fairness to British boxing, it's in pretty good shape. With many World Champions, and other fighters like David Haye and Enzo Maccaranelli who are rightly challenging at the top end, British boxing has competitors to be proud of. However, but you have to wonder if it's because much of the American attention is now focussed on the UFC, and it's combination of martial arts.

Ask America to name the best British fighter and the majority would say Michael Bisping of UFC now, and would struggle past Calzaghe if you limited them to boxers.

With all that in mind, it certainly doesn't help any cause that prospective fights like Hatton v Pacquiao are being touted as on, then off. Macaranelli is struggling to find anyone to fight and David Haye's world title fight against one of the Klitschko brothers has been shrouded in mystery.

Boxing needs to get it's act together, and I'm not sure gimmicks like 'Prizefighter' is the way forward. At the moment, the biggest fights look like a Celebrity Big Brother - past celebrities living off former glories.

 The only way back for boxing is to flush out the has-beens and let a new batch of youngsters come through and make legends of themselves. It may even have to get worse before it gets better, but that's the only way we're likely to see boxing compete with UFC in the future. 

So, the announcement was made yesterday that Amir Khan is to fight legend of the ring Marco Antonio Barrera sometime in March in the UK. Since slipping to his thus far sole defeat in October, Khan came back to knock out Oisin Fagan in December.

If that victory was meant to convince his fans that he was back and ready to go for the big time, it didn't. Despite the convincing nature of the victory, Fagan was nothing more than the cannon-fodder as most of Khan's opponents have been. As a boxing fan myself, I was really pleased when I heard Khan was fighting Breidis Prescott, who I had heard mentioned as a future World Champion, back in October.

It seems to me that fighters get career-defining fights, and I thought that maybe Khan was going to step up to the plate, as he's got speed and power, but had shown his vulnerability too. However, he most certainly did not step up, being knocked down twice and counted out after 54 seconds. The contest was over so quick I missed it, literally. Unfortunately, it wasn't that big a surprise to the world.

When Khan fought Willie Limond back in July 2007, it was the first remotely difficult test he had faced, and whilst he won, I thought it was more because of Limond's inability to close out the fight, rather than a good Khan performance. His chin was vulnerable despite having dominated the fight up until the 6th round, and was knocked down by Limond in the 6th, and whilst he survived this scare to put Limond down in the next round Limond was undoubtedly a limited fighter.

Khan's one victory of note came against Graham Earl just over a year ago. Earl, a former world title contender was put away in just 72 seconds, and Khan and most boxing experts consider it the best victory of his career, but Earl was strangely below par, and put in a virtual no-show in the defeat.

So what of this contest against Barrera? No doubt this will put Khan on a bigger platform, to a wider audience, and is probably the first time an American audience will tune in with real interest. Barrera, a true legend ranked higher than great fighters like Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones jr in the All-time list, will hopefully take Khan to a place he hasn't been before. Despite poor form in recent years, Barrera was able to get a victory under his belt against Sammy Ventura in November.

My fear is that this fight, as a boxing fan is no-win. Either Amir Khan will be completely exposed against a living legend, or Marco Antonio Barrera will expose himself as completely past it. Obviously there's the slim hope that both are still trading blows at the final bell, but the odds of that are unlikely frankly.

I think Barrera will take this one. Having signed a five-year deal with Don King, he showed he has come away from thoughts on retirement, and is looking to become the first Mexican to win titles at four weights. Barrera is a determined man, and has been in the ring with the best fighters in the world. Khan has yet to be challenged and then respond, indeed the only time he's faced a challenege he lost in 54 seconds.

One can only hope this one lasts a lot longer.

Almost every time an up-and-coming sportsman or woman finally comes good, I always tell my friends, family, or anyone who will listen that 'I knew they'd make it-see', and quite often I have done, but now it's time to put that theory truly to the test - Here, I'm going to make a number of predictions for the coming year, and challenge any of you readers to stump up a five pound bet if you think any of these will not happen....

1. Laura Robson to add to her Wimbledon Junior's Title - While it's true she may have been born in Australia, we are most definitly taking her as one of her own. Just as Andy Murray did in 2004 at the US Open, 2008 saw 14-year old Laura Robson punch above her weight, defeating the older, reigning Champion in the second round, in straight sets. Following this, she won her first singles title in Sunderland, and I wouldn't at all be surprised if we saw her in the top 150 by the end of they year, despite a current ranking of 508. I do predict, however, that despite her current stomach injury, she adds to her Junior Grand Slam collection and is voted Young Sports Personality of the Year 2009.

2. The renaissance of Fernando Alonso - A bit controversial this one, given Fernando's run-ins with our own Lewis Hamilton, but no-one scored more points than him during the final 5 races of the 2008 season. Undoubtedly he is back, and you can bet he is hungrier than ever after losing his title over the past 2 years. Having spent the first part of last season helping adjust the car, the second half of the season saw vast improvements, culminating in a fantastic win in the sports first ever night race. I predict a top-two championship finish for the man many consider the most complete driver in Formula One.

3. Wales add another Six Nations title to the collection - Under the shrewd management of Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards, Wales have been transformed from World Cup flops in October 2007, to Grand Slam Champions in March 2008. Having overseen a tighter than usual tour of South Africa, as well as masterminding victory over an Australian team that came second in the Tri-nations, I don't think Gatland and Wales will stop there. I predict another title for Wales, if not another Grand Slam. England are very much a team in transition still and do not have Wales' resiliance. France continue to look to the World Cup, and last year made countless changes between every game, and while Scotland are much-improved, I don't think they'll have enough. Ireland are a team in decline, despite bright performances ever now and again, and Italy despite their continual improvement are hamstrung by the fact their development is so many years behind everyone elses, which means it will be the year of the Dragon once more.

4. Tony Adams to be sacked, and Portsmouth to be relegated - Probably the prediction I'm sticking my neck out with the most, and I hope I'm wrong, but Portsmouth was Harry Redknapp. Last time they tried to replace him, they ended up all-but relegated - who saved them? Oh you guessed it - everyone's favourite wheeler and dealer - Harry 'Freedom of the City even though I just left for Tottenham' Redknapp. In any case, Portsmouth's form has been dire since he left, and their bankroll has stopped. 'Oh, but they have £20million from Diarra to spend' I hear you cry - Me, I doubt that it's £20million. The undisclosed fee, I think, could in reality be much smaller. The 2 wins since Adams took over have come against Sunderland, courtesy of a 91st minute, dodgy penalty, and against a Blackburn team in freefall - sorry Pompey, in the tightest Premiership ever, I think you're playing the Swans in the Championship next year.

5. Ricky Hatton to either beat Manny Pacquiao or lose to Floyd Mayweather - difficult to predict the fate of a man, when you do not know his opponent, but I think the fight is won or lost in whoever he fights. A super-fight is a nailed-on certainty, with mootings of a re-match with Mayweather, and a fight with the pound-for-pound king Pacquiao the most likely options. I think whereas De La Hoya was a spent force against the 'Pac man', which he admitted after the fight, Hatton would make his weight advantage count, and take a decision against Pacquiao, who will not have fought anyone as ferocious as Ricky Hatton is on the inside. Mayweather, on the other hand, is the one that got away, and while the temptation may be to right a wrong, I don't think it would be possible. let's not forget Mayweather not only beat Hatton, he knocked him out, comfortably, and that was nothing to do with the referee, it was because Mayweather was the best fighter in the world and I have no doubt if he comes out of retirement, still is.

Other , more subdued, and off-the-cuff predictions for 2009 include -Joe Calzaghe to sensibly retire, Andy Murray to win the US Open, Cardiff City to lose in the Championship play-offs, Blackburn to go down, Wolves, Reading and Palace to go up, Another Champions League semi-final line-up dominated by English clubs, Liverpool to blow their Premiership title hopes and Alex Ferguson to praise a referee's decision after the award of a penalty for the opposition at Old Trafford (All bets off that one obviously!).

Happy New Year!

 

Joe Calzaghe I think it's fair to say, is one of those sportsmen who polarizes opinion. Look at the bare facts, and 46 wins, 0 defeats and 10 years as a World Champion seem to suggest otherwise. After all, how could anyone pick apart those facts? However, the fact that Joe has only received any real praise since March 2006, after he beat Jeff Lacy, and that being 8 years into his tenure as World Champion, says that even if he isn't under-rated now, he certainly was for a long time.

The argument that Joe is over-rated mainly comes from those boxing journalists, experts and often opponents who look at his record and pick holes in it. They ask who, in their peak has he beaten? They say his big fights have come several years after his opponent has past their peak. Much is made of the fact he won the WBC title of an aged Chris Eubank who had nothing left to give. That Jeff Lacy was too one-dimensional, with just one shot. Bernard Hopkins was 43, and past his best and Roy Jones Jr was 39 and also past it.

The way to come back against those arguments of course, is simple. Chris Eubank was a warrior of a fighter, and the praise someone of Chris' standing gave Joe after the fight said it all for me. Let's also not forget that Jeff Lacy was meant to be the Mike Tyson of the Super-Middleweight division before Joe Calzaghe beat him so convincingly he disappeared off the radar completely for 18 months. Bernard Hopkins proved what a world-class fighter he still is by beating the highly rated Kelly Pavlik, and although it's certain that Roy Jones Jr was no longer the same fighter that won titles at four different weights, it may yet prove that Joe wanted to tick a few boxes in his final fight.

Joe has been accused of being a 'slapper' by more than one opponent but I think the sheer number of punches he throws (on average more than 1,000 in a 12 round fight) puts to bed that argument. He may not have huge punches, but because he throws so many punches, he makes it very difficult for anyone to throaw any punches back. For all his reputation as a 'slapper' too, he put Chris Eubank down twice in one fight, Eubank only ever having touched down 4 times before that in his whole career,

For me, Joe Calzaghe is the best boxer that Britain has ever produced when you look at his record. This opinion may also be stem from his Welsh blood, but on pure record, it is nigh-on impossible to argue with his status as Britain's finest boxing export. Considering whether he is indeed Britain's greatest ever boxer is extremely difficult of course. Unlike any other sport, boxing is spread accross it's eleven weight categories and this comparison very difficult. On top of that, in a sport where the quality of each weight category varies greatly from generation to generation, it wouldn't be fair to great fighters like Lennox Lewis and Ken Buchanan to use the bare facts as the sole way of judging Britain's greatest boxer.


Anyway, I'll leave you with a highlights video of Calzaghe's fight with Chris Eubank, where as the commentator puts it, he 'ticked all the boxes'. Frank Warren described his performace against Jeff Lacy as the greatest of any British boxer, and Sugar Ray Robinson is a massive Calzaghe fan, I think that, as well as the pictures below says it all....