My dad is a boxing legend and former world champion who fought in Las Vegas – now I’m making my own way as a trainer
Joe Calzaghe Jr is keeping the sweet science alive in his family.
BOXING has been in the blood of the Calzaghe family for several decades.
The Cazalghes got involved in the sweet science thanks to late matriarch Enzo, who passed away in September 2018.
Enzo immersed himself in the sport after meeting Paul Williams, who instructed the Italian-born Welshman to encourage his son Joe to try his hand at becoming a pugilist.
He didn’t know it at the time, but his decision to put Joe – who at the time was being bullied – into the sport would forever change British boxing.
Under the stewardship of Enzo, Joe would go on to become the most dominant boxer in British history – becoming the unified super-middleweight champion and winning light-heavyweight gold.
Joe called time on his career – in which he registered a perfect 46-0 record and scooped the 2007 BBC Sport’s Personality of the Year Award – in 2009
But a little over 14 years after his retirement, his son Joe Jr is keeping the family pasttime alive.
Joe Jr is one of the head trainers at the appropriately named Calzaghe Academy in Newbridge.
The 29-year-old takes pride in passing down the knowledge his dad and late grandfather taught bestowed on him to the next generation of aspiring boxers.
Earlier this year, he coached several budding amateurs in a tournament held at the gym and shared snaps of the event on his Instagram page.
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His accompanying caption read: “Few snaps from @calzagheacademy – Amateur Boxing Show. The first of many.
“Doing what I love #BOXING.”
One of his followers commented: “Let’s go.”
Another said: “My coach.”
One remarked: “Thank you, coach.”
Brother Connor chimed in: “Looking sharp, brother.”
Joe Jr’s involvement in boxing doesn’t come as a surprise given the lineage he comes from.
But he and his brother Connor, albeit inadvertently, played a big role in their dad hanging up his gloves.
Joe Sr recalled: “I remember little Connor crying his heart out before the Jones fight.
“He was breaking his heart. They saw me in Vegas against Bernard Hopkins and that was a shock.
“They’d never seen their dad knocked down so they were in trauma. It was a tough experience for them.”
He added: “The boys went on YouTube and they found these compilations of Roy Jones knockouts from 15 years ago.
“They saw him at his best.
“They were shocked and asked, ‘Dad, are you really going to fight this guy?’
“My two sons are the most important people. I have to think about them first now.”