ENZO Calzaghe, pictured, has blasted back at Colin Jones for suggesting his son Joe should retire from boxing and dismissed his credentials to even make such a judgement.

Trainer Enzo has been left fuming after former European welterweight champ Jones joined the growing band of critics in the wake of Calzaghe's defence of his WBO Super middleweight title against Kabary Salem last weekend.

Despite winning comfortably on points Newbridge southpaw Calzaghe has been hammered for his performance, prompting Jones to comment that he did not have enough left in the tank to step up a weight and that perhaps the time had come for him to call it a day.

But Enzo, the man who has been right beside Joe throughout his career, which has seen him undefeated in 38 fights, believes the time has come for him to defend his son.

An emotional Enzo told the Argus: "I have kept quiet throughout the week but now I have to make my feelings known.

"The way some people have been talking about Joe since the fight has made me feel sick to my stomach.

"I am just sick and tired of people knocking us and not just us but other sportsman, for winning!

"We are hearing a lot from people who have never been world champions and yet they still want to go out and criticise Joe.

"Take Colin Jones for instance. Who is he, or was he, to criticise Joe?

"He was never a world champion and he is a fighter who will be remembered by many people for having his face splattered in the ring.

"What authority does he have to make those sort of comments? He is not even a has been, he is a never was, he has never won anything meaningful.

"All the time you hear people slagging off their most successful sportsmen, I just don't understand the thinking behind it.

"My message is to get off Joe's back and support a true champion, because there will never be a champion like Joe again, not just in Gwent but in the whole of Wales."