Enzo Calzaghe to retire as active trainer
by Scott Christ on Mar 11, 2010 11:14 AM EST
in Boxing News Analysis
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It's not the big U.K. boxing retirement that seemed imminent a couple of days ago, but it's notable. The BBC reports this morning that Enzo Calzaghe, the 60-year-old father and former trainer of Joe Calzaghe, is expected to announce his retirement as an active trainer.
Calzaghe's star pupil was, of course, his son, who retired in early 2009 with a 46-0 (32 KO) record, going down as the all-time greatest super middleweight in that division's short history, and having won the legitimate world championships at that weight and light heavyweight. Enzo won the 2007 Ring Magazine Trainer of the Year award.
He also trained Gavin Rees, Bradley Pryce, Gary Lockett, and others. Rees and Pryce are now working with Lockett, who has turned to the training game.
Even more than Joe the fighter, Enzo the trainer's legacy will surely be questioned. His son was a tremendous talent, and they were highly successful together, but other than that and Gavin Rees' fluky capturing of a 140-pound title, Enzo's pupils never got past domestic level.
One thing I'll definitely remember is that he came off in every corner he was in as a fiercely competitive man who absolutely expected the very best of every fighter he trained. He was fiery and generally good for a blue language highlight or two during a fight.
Happy trails, Enzo, and enjoy your retirement.
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Good Luck Enzo
A true “one off”. There probably won’t be another like him.
by Phill on Mar 11, 2010 12:09 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Nick. Good call.
Enzo Mac has been in some good fights.
There’s no disgrace in losing to David Haye either. I enjoyed watching him.
by Phill on Mar 11, 2010 1:54 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
To be frank
I’ve always regarded Enzo as a pretty poor titleist, perhaps one of the worst. He had rather shoddy boxing skills, didn’t hit that hard and wasn’t really well conditioned. I suppose respect goes to Enzo for making something out of him but I still don’t think too much of that something.
I wouldn’t be suprised if Pac turned out to be the incredible hulk in a very good disguise. - Sigidy
by Drunken cutman on Mar 11, 2010 4:47 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, I completely agree. Enzo and Gavin Rees are two of the poorest titlists in recent memory.
"The terror of the unforeseen is what the science of history hides, turning a disaster into an epic"
by Oli Goldstein on Mar 11, 2010 5:23 PM EST up reply actions
I can't agree.
I think Enzo hit like a truck. He wasn’t massively skilled, but he did hit hard, and he wasn’t poorly conditioned to my mind…. You don’t need to be ripped like Manny to be considered well conditioned. Also, if you’re judging him on fights post-Haye, then don’t bother. Enzo was never the same animal.
Some people are acting like Pacquiao should be expected to have just gone, "Yeah sure, let’s do something I’ve never done before because your dad made some dumbass baseless comment."
(SC, 28/12/09; http://www.badlefthook.com/2009/12/27/1221143/mayweather-pacquiao-update-bob#comments)
Enzo was never that good before
He could box, sure, but he always had a really weak chin. I think Calzaghe did a good job training him though.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Grecian 2000
LMAO Enzo looks like he mixed the Grecian 2000 with some tan in a bottle in that pic . Agreed Phil , I like old Enzo . Hes a classic .Smart bloke as well , the brains behind his kids rise to the top.
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. " Hunter S Thompson.
Imagine Enzo Mac against Holyfield at cruiser LOL Be similar to the Haye fight .
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. " Hunter S Thompson.
JC40
Enzo was funny too, if you listened to him talking (or shouting) at Joe between rounds, he used to make his own words up.
One time I think it was when Hops decked him in their “devlishly thrilling epic”.. Enzo said,
“you didn’t see the punch??… that’s cos you stayed stautionary…” classic comedy.
by Phill on Mar 11, 2010 6:01 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Hehe
Yeah Enzo’s corner crazyness was always funny!
I wouldn’t be suprised if Pac turned out to be the incredible hulk in a very good disguise. - Sigidy
by Drunken cutman on Mar 11, 2010 6:07 PM EST up reply actions
Good luck to him.
Joe won those three ABA titles and a bunch of pro fights all from that tiny shed of theirs in the valleys where the floor-to-ceiling had to be unhooked from the centre of the ring before you could spar. I enjoy that angle. Enzo winged it with infectious determination and sheer bloody stubbornness, pretty impressive results for a bloke with zero boxing experience.
I do wish he would’ve talked Joe into a rematch with Hopkins – but like JC says – Enzo’s a smart man – “let’s take Roy instead.”
"Anytime you go thirty rounds with a guy, try to kill each other, and have the utmost respect for each other, no one understands that, but guys who have been to war understand it." - Micky Ward on Arturo Gatti.
Good Luck Enzo !
People have very different opinions of Enzo – for some he wasn’t much of a trainer – David Haye for example said he wasn’t a top level trainer at all and just benefited from having ‘an insanely talented son’ – others like Joe himself gave him credit saying that he hardly watched any tapes of opponents and relied on his Dad to spot the flaws, watch their style etc. I also think he was a great motivator – some call it cheerleading – to me it’s man management
At the end of the day he had what 3 world champs, Ring Trainer of the Year – they can’t take that away from him.
The Hopkins fight is an interesting case in point – in Hopkins corner was Roach and Richardson – two of the most highly rated of recent years – maybe currently THE two most highly rated Trainers – on the other side there was Enzo – probably his first fight in the US – Hell he can’t have been that Bad !
cheers Matt
cheers mate – I was bound to come up with one sooner or later !
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