WELL, one of the busiest boxing weekends I can remember turned out to be a bit of a let down in the end.
I was pleased that Enzo Maccarinelli got a good win but obviously he didn’t have the chance to reclaim his title.
Amir Khan also got a routine win to bounce back from being knocked out and Audley Harrison just confirmed that he’s got no future in boxing with another pitiful defeat.
The guy did well to win the Olympics and that is something to be proud of but he should just retire now. He’s not a pro and he’s never going to be a world champion.
The biggest surprise was Manny Pacquiao beating Oscar De La Hoya. Regular readers will know that I tipped De La Hoya to win, as most people did, but he looked completely shot and it was a walkover in the end.
To be honest, De La Hoya hasn’t been a boxer for years. He’s a business man and a multi-millionaire. He got beaten up by a small guy and he just fell apart.
I don’t see why he bothers to fight on. He’s damaging his legacy and he’s another one who needs to retire.
I’m tired of answering the question now but, yes, it has given me some thinking to do because I don’t want to lose three or fights like he has done, it just tarnishes your reputation.
There is a good chance that my mate Ricky Hatton will take on Pacquiao now and that is a fight I’d love to see. It would be a good contest, a real 50-50 fight, and it would be hard to pick a winner.
And, of course, the other big fight of the weekend saw Carl Froch win my old WBC super-middleweight belt by beating Jean Pascal, whoever he is.
Again, this is a question I’ve had a thousand times this week but I’ll say it again - there’s no chance I’ll fight Froch. It would be a total mismatch, he’s just not in the same class as me and it’s about time he got the message.
Going back to Enzo, there was a story this week that he will be going into ultimate fighting but, believe me, he’s still got a lot to offer in the boxing ring and I know from first-hand experience how much he wants to be a world champion again.
He is the best cruiserweight in the world and he’d worked really hard to get his title back.
Unfortunately it didn’t happen for him last week but he went in there and did the business and knocked over a heavyweight.
He’s in great shape and he looked sharp. I’ve no doubt that 2009 will be the year he reclaims his title and we’re all behind him 100%.
I should also wish our old stablemate Nathan Cleverly good luck as he makes the first defence of his Commonwealth light-heavyweight belt in Widnes tonight.
Nathan is coming on well. He’s undefeated and improving in every fight. I don’t really know his opponent Douglas Otieno. The African fighters are always tough but Nathan is pretty fast and I’m sure he’ll be too good for the guy.
I will be watching closely to see an improvement from his last fight when he won the title against Tony Oakey. He boxed well then but he’s still young, only 21, and I’m sure there are big things ahead for him in the future.
As Christmas is fast approaching and I don’t have a fight to prepare for I should be relaxing with a few pints and a mince pie or two but it’s been another busy week for me.
I’ve been promoting my new official DVD – Joe Calzaghe: My Life Story – which is the perfect gift for Christmas, folks.
I enjoy meeting my fans and signing stuff is a lot easier than being in the ring that’s for sure.
I’m really happy with the DVD. It gives people an insight into my career and what goes on behind the scenes.
I wanted to do this near the end of my career. I’ve always been a pretty private person but now I’m opening up to people a bit more and it’s been good to reflect on the last 25 years.
I’ve done the book, done a DVD so what’s next? Maybe a film.
There was a rumour going round that I was going to do a Christmas single with the Stereophonics but anyone who has heard me sing will know there is no chance of that ever happening.
My dad Enzo and uncle Sergio are the ones with the musical genes and I’ll leave the singing to them.
There was also a possibility of me doing a film with Sly Stallone and that would suit me better I think. But I’ll wait until I make a decision on retiring before I get into anything like that.
Finally, I’m looking forward to the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards in Liverpool on Sunday. I won it last year but I was in Vegas having watched the Hatton v Mayweather fight so I kind of missed out on the occasion.
I was the first Welshman in something like 45 years to win it and that was a great achievement.
I don’t expect to win it again this year, but who knows?
I don’t really care who gets it. They are all great sportsmen and women. Just to be selected in the top 10 is an honour and I don’t have a clue who will get the big prize but I’m sure it will be a good night.
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