Enzo Calzaghe speaks on Enzo, Cleverly and shutting the Newbridge Gym.....

Ingle is a level above Calzaghe and anyone else in the UK in my opinion. I still give the edge to Calzaghe over the likes of McCracken and Graham, despite the fact Frank Warren can take credit for most of Enzo's fighters achievements.

His greatest asset is his ability to motivate and get fighters into shape as you have said. That combined with competent strategy makes him second best of a bad bunch for me.

It says it all about our trainers in the pro-ranks when Frank Warren let his cash-cow, Amir Khan be trained by someone unproven like Harrison.

 

Harrison unproven? CHJ no bones with you pal but that is a shocking statement.

 

He hasn't got a record of creating world class fighters unless I am forgetting a fighter.

Warren would at least have wanted Khan to appear world class.

 

Harrison took Jamie Moore from an domestic amateur to world class against proven opposition, he is also one of the longest holders of a trainers licence in the sport and probably the best padman in the UK.

 

I strongly have to disagree on that one mate (except the Frank Warren bit). In my opinion I think McCracken is a top notch trainer.

I don't want to get all negative on Enzo Calzaghe for the sake of it, but in my opinion he's not much more than a glorified cheerleader/drill sergeant. Yes he gets his boys physically fit, and he shouts a lot... swears a bit... and shouts some more, but I don't really rate him as a particularly good trainer technically or as a specific tactician.
The most recent case in point was the Maccarinelli-Afolabi bout. It was obvious Enzo (M) needed to calm down, step back and pick his punches more, yet in the corner Enzo (C) just screamed and fired him up even more, encouraging him to carry on going in there all guns blazing.

Joe Calzaghe made Enzo Calzaghe, simple as. Pryce and Rees aren't all that good and have benefitted from great engineering on the part of Sports Network.
Bradley Pryce has lost against every half decent fighter he's fought (Hall, Jennings, Sinclair, Bami, Olusegun, McDonagh) with Anthony Small being the exception.
Rees has only ever beaten an unmotivated and disinterested M'Baye and will never come close to a world title again (even though he didn't deserve the shot in the first place - how you go from the likes of fighting Chill John and Billy Smith straight to a world title only Frank Warren will ever know).
Maccarinelli has only really looked decent in one fight (Braithwaite) considering the type of opponents he's had, and I felt he lost the first Hobson fight.
In my opinion Nathan Cleverly has looked better than he ever has lately and is making good improvements, coincidentally after he left Calzaghe.


Enzo Calzaghe is what he is, and I'm not bothered if people hail him as Trainer Of The Year or whatever, that's their opinion and we're all entitled to them. However in my own opinion a lot of his success has come off the back of having a naturally talented son and the Sports Network machine throwing it's weight around to benefit his other boxers.
In my opinion, in terms of boxing knowledge etc, Mr. C doesn't touch the likes of McCracken.

I know Robert hasn't been in the training game all that long, I think in a few years time and given some decent talent to work with, he's going to emerge as a top class trainer and one of the best in Europe.

 

Oh, and I thought Ryan Rhodes just edged it against Lockett too.

I would like to make clear though that I do appreciate what contributions Team Calzaghe has made to British boxing, especially in Wales, and I sincerely hope he doesn't shut his gym down. I'm just expressing my views that I don't rate him as highly as many seem to do.

 

Hey Gaz You speak lot of sense as ever but you gotta realise British Boxing needs local men like old Enzo to dedicate themselves to teaching the young , how many make time out for them ? i know i don't have the time in my life where as you do , whatever the standard they train these kids up to they deserve credit imo sure Robert Mc has the advantage over the likes of old Enzo as he actaully laced them up as a pro but who's to say Joe won't do the same with a sprinkle of knowledge of where his old man went wong on occasions ? . p.s how are the lads doing down Vicky park ?

 

I didn't see this second post Gaz before i posted mine

 

Hi Josey, how you doing mate? Long time no "type".

Absolutely, I agree. I'm not against Enzo (see my very last post) and I respect what he's done, but only to that specific extent. I'm just saying I don't think he's the world's greatest trainer or even the best in the UK. I'm by no means knocking his efforts or his dedication, just giving my perspective on how I rate his actual ability.

As for the Vic Park, I'm no longer there, left a couple of months ago. Wasn't exactly seeing eye to eye with the head coach and thought it wise to move on before tensions arose (as it's the boxers who suffer). However, it's not all lost.
Just got my pro licence and have a young Cardiff protegé turning over to the pro game, so watch this space.... :good

 

lol Fair go Gaz what happened to that Asian Kid over Newport way ? he was going great guns in the Am's but has fallen off the S/Wales Radar so to speak .

 

You mean Mo Nasir? I don't know what's happening with him. I saw him at the Sanigar show in Newport last week, but he was just a spectator, don't know what's happening with him career-wise.
I think he turned pro around about the same time as Tobias Webb, but I'm not sure if he's had any bouts yet, as I've not heard anything. He's probably hard to match as there aren't many around in the smaller weights in this country (not sure what weight he's doing as a pro but he was doing flyweight in the ams).
Kyle King has just turned pro at fly (he was the one who came in too heavy against Paul Lowe, Britain's smallest boxer a few weeks back), so I guess there's a natural match up to be made there down the line.


Was on a training course with your buddy Eddie Avoth last week, he's training Jamie Arthur now. As much as I like Eddie though, I don't fancy Arthur's chances against Akaash Bhattia at the end of this month. What do you reckon?

 

In all honesty i aint see this Bhattia fight Gaz , i read about him but thats all , Eddie is a decent fella and hard as mate he must be in his late 50's now , i could tell a story about him , me and an arse kicking he saved me from back in the day outside Nero's but wont lol

 

Bhatia is a very tasty prospect indeed. Not much of a banger but slick, though he's yet to be tested. As nice it would be for Welsh boxing if Jamie won (it's a British title eliminator), I just don't see him beating 'Kash The Bash'. Should be an entertaining fight though, it's on the undercard of Jason Booth-Rocky Dean in a couple of weeks time.

Eddie's actually somwhere in his mid 60's I think. I think there's plenty of stories about Eddie that could be told, though many are probably better left unsaid .

 

lol last i heard of Eddie he was about on take on a World tour ( cardiff and local estates ) with Kevin Hayde and Piper in a show billed " Meet the boxers" i passed the ticket over :good

 

I/you have changed my mind and I agree entirely.