LEGENDARY boxing trainer Enzo Calzaghe has savaged Carl Froch, branding the fighter an average robot who would’ve been a lamb to the slaughter against Joe Calzaghe.
The colourful 63-year old Sardinian, who runs the legendary Team Calzaghe gym in Newbridge, trained his son Joe to a ten-year reign as a world champion and saw him retire undefeated.
Calzaghe also trained a slew of other champions, including Enzo Maccarinelli, Gavin Rees, Nathan Cleverly, Bradley Pryce, Kerry Hope and Gary Lockett during an unparalleled spell of success for Welsh boxing.
However, neither Enzo nor Joe are especially big fans of Froch, the IBF and WBA super middleweight world champion, for a couple of reasons.
Froch spent many years calling out Calzaghe and irritated the duo who have subsequently taken issue with Froch for his disparaging comments about Cleverly and high opinion of his own legacy.
Currently featuring on television adverts for a UK bookmaker, Enzo believes you couldn’t even name a price for Froch to beat Groves in a rematch.
“The fight was good to watch but the wrong person won, end of story,” he blasted.
“What the hell was the referee thinking? You can’t imagine it. I’ve been in boxing for 30-years and why did he stop it? I want a reason, we all want a reason. He’s under pressure, of course, but he’s a boxing referee, not on work experience, I’ve never seen a poorer decision.
“How could he stop that fight? It was crazy.
“Can Froch beat Groves properly? I don’t think so, not based on what we saw.”
Calzaghe felt his son would’ve been mortified to win in such a manner and is also cross for the disrespect Froch has shown Groves.
If Joe had won like Carl Froch had won he’d have been embarrassed, he’s won decisively in the past and been down about that because he didn’t perform to his best,” he said.
“He was honest to himself. Carl isn’t even being honest to himself if he thinks he doesn’t owe George Groves anything (having said Groves isn’t owed a rematch).
His words are doing my head in. Saying on the ring apron that the referee did the right thing because he (Froch) was “going to throw more shots,” it’s total nonsense. What does he mean? He was going to throw more shots? Why didn’t he? What was he waiting for?
"Carl Froch has totally convinced me he is an average world champion. All the hype was fake; he’s slow, slow, slow. Plodding along.
"No more talk about him boxing Joe. It would have been like a lamb to the slaughter and I don’t believe anyone can still conduct that debate with a straight face after Saturday.
“Did you watch him? He was so slow. It was like seeing a robot in the ring, a big robotic man who takes five seconds to swing his arm!”
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