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Calzaghe: Best British Fighter of My

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Promoter Frank Warren is not holding a grudge against Joe Calzaghe. Warren promoted Calzaghe for over a decade until the two had a bad falling out in 2008. Despite their legal battle, Warren says Calzaghe is the best British fighter that he ever saw - better than Lennox Lewis or Ricky Hatton. Calzaghe announced his retirement last week, but Warren predicts a return is still very possible.
 

"Boxing is littered with fighters who have gone on too long, and it's refreshing to see Calzaghe quit at the top. But although it’s rare for a boxer to know the best time to get out, it's even rarer for them to stay retired. And I've got a nagging doubt that Calzaghe will be back in the ring before too long for one final shot at glory. I just hope he means it when he says that enough is enough. He is definitely the best British fighter in my time in boxing and the best super middleweight of all time," Warren said.

Warren says the three performances that defined Calzaghe's career were against Chris Eubank, Jeff Lacy and Mikkel Kessler.

"For me, Joe's career is defined by three fights. First, his victory over Chris Eubank, which he didn't get enough credit for. Typically, the media decided to focus on the defeat of Eubank rather than the brilliance of Calzaghe when he beat him in 1997 to lift the WBO super-middleweight title," Warren said.

"When he took on Lacy, Calzaghe wanted to pull out with a hand injury, and was tipped to lose by many so called experts. I always knew that big favorite Lacy was made for him though, and I've never seen such a one-sided display in a world title fight. However good Joe was against the American, I believe his greatest performance came against Mikkel Kessler in November 2007. He was getting caught in the first four rounds, Calzaghe switched tactics to out-box the Dane in the second half of the fight. He could easily have got drawn into a war to impress his home fans, but instead showed what an astute tactician he could be."

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