Most pillow fisted unified champion of all time?

Calzaghe had plenty of power before his hands went and even the version with shot hands, and he had serious problems with his hands since his teens many years before he turned pro, was no featherfist.

A 19 y/o Calzaghe

''I just hope my hands get better.. keep OK.. so I can turn professional and be good at it.''

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How do you recall the (Joe) Calzaghe fight?

''The main thing I remember about Calzaghe was how hard he punched. I thought he had bricks in his gloves at one point. On top of that - he was big, he was strong, he was hearty, he had fast hand speed and he had a very awkward southpaw stance.

He was unbeaten, he didn't know how to lose.
On top of all that, he puts me down in the opening 15 seconds, for only the second clean knockdown of my life. (Laughs) .''

''I've never been knocked down in the first round before Joe hit me with a powerful left-hand punch, which I never saw, and within half a minute of the bell ringing I was having to pick myself up and deal with the realization that I was in for a long night. That punch really hurt and thereafter it was a tough fight.''

Joe obviously went on to be an exceptionally great world champion.''

--- Chris Eubank

''I started out [professional] with the Ingles. I used to do a lot of body sparring with the likes of Bomber Graham, Johnny Nelson and Naseem Hamed. Nelson never had any bottle: he used to nick fights running away. But Naz was ******* brilliant - so elusive and he hit really hard. Even when he were just 15, he told my uncle to get his autograph 'cos he were going to be a superstar.

Nigel Benn used me seven times over in Tenerife, including for the Gerald McClellan fight. I had a big bet, three figures, on McClellan to win in the first round at about 10-1. And he would've if the ref hadn't kept interrupting. Nige and me would spar half-an-hour a day, then both go out on the ****. We always had a headguard and 16 oz gloves and often I'd outjab him. Nigel weren't a liberty-taker.

But the best I've been inside the ring with was Joe Calzaghe in sparring. Beforehand, I thought he were quite boring to watch and looked as if he slapped but, **** me, he punches hard. If he slapped, Bernard Hopkins would've stood toe-to-toe with Joe, but he [Hopkins] got on his bike, didn't he? If Joe and Nigel had fought, I think Joe would have been able to take the pain and would've ended up hurting Nigel, bit like Michael Watson did.''

--- Tony Booth

''I thought I'd been hit by a lorry''

--- Karl Barwise

''This kid has everything''

--- Spencer Alton

''I've never been hit so hard and so often''

--- Andy Flute

"After working with Robin Reid last month I was already buzzing, but when the call came to work with Joe, well he's the best on the planet," he told Seconds Out.

"I was invited down to work with Joe for five days and I've enjoyed every minute. This has been a fantastic opportunity for me.

"I can see why he's the champ now. Joe punches hard and fast''

--- Tony Quigley

''Calzaghe can punch very hard''

--- Nicky Piper

''A lot of people think Joe can't punch but he's actually very heavy handed''

--- Enzo Maccarinelli

The hardest puncher I fought (long pause) that?s a real tough one

''I dished out a lot more punishment than I ever took during my career, but I'd have to say the toughest and most exciting fight I ever had was with Joe Calzaghe,'' Brewer said.

Joe was not a one-punch KO kind of guy, but he overwhelmed guys; he had those ridiculous combinations! And I deviated from my game-plan that night in Wales, and we just warred; we went two-to-toe for 12-rounds. It was a battle of heart and guts. Joe was just a great technical, mentally draining, puncher''

--- Charles Brewer

Glen Catley, Dean Francis (RIP), and Robin Reid said he hit hard too.

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