Enzo Calzaghe

Enzo Calzaghe
Statistics
Nationality Italian
Welsh
Born (1949-01-01) 1 January 1949
Sassari, Sardinia, Italy

Enzo Calzaghe, MBE (born 1 January 1949) is an Italian boxing trainer based in Wales. He is the father of Joe Calzaghe and the head trainer for Team Calzaghe at the Newbridge boxing club. He, along with son Joe, is the founder of Calzaghe Promotions.

Early life

He was born and raised in Bancali, an hamlet of Sassari, in the Italian island of Sardinia.

Musical career

Enzo played the bass guitar for his uncle's band 'Survival'. Upon completing his national service in Milan in 1969, Enzo decided to travel around Europe, making money as a busker. He hitch-hiked from one city to the next, often sleeping rough in city squares and phone-boxes. Eventually he arrived at Bournemouth where his aunt ran a restaurant. Enzo stayed and worked at the restaurant in the day and slept there at night; in order to save up enough money to go back home to Sardinia. He saved the cash but, when he got to Southampton station, the tannoy announced a train to Cardiff was due. In Calzaghe's words: "Sod going home, let's try Cardiff".[1]

Moving to London and then Wales

When eating in a Wimpy (restaurant) in Cardiff, along with a gentleman who had given him a lift when hitchhiking from Dijon, Enzo met and subsequently fell in love with his future wife, Jackie. They married four weeks later, and after an unhappy time in Sardinia, moved to Hammersmith in London, where Jackie worked for 20th Century Fox and Enzo worked in a factory, putting nails into boxes. In March 1972, their son; Joseph William was born. Eventually, they moved to Pentwynmawr in Wales, where Enzo worked as a bus conductor and a window salesman, whilst playing in various showbands in the area with his brother Uccio.

Boxing

Whilst in Cardiff, Enzo got involved in the local boxing gym and met Paul Williams, who was trainer of the Newbridge boxing club. Williams invited Enzo to bring his son Joe Calzaghe along. Joe became a regular at the gym and Enzo became Paul's assistant trainer." Williams retired when Joe was 18 and Enzo took over the gym.[1] Enzo Calzaghe has also won 'Coach of the Year' at the BBC Sports Personality awards, Ring Magazine trainer of the year for 2007 and the Futch–Condon Award, awarded by the Boxing Writers Association of America, for Trainer of the Year 2007.

MBE

A special ceremony was arranged for Enzo to be awarded an MBE in Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly in 2010, presented by the Lord Lieutenant of Gwent; Simon Boyle, because Calzaghe was unable to attend the service at Buckingham Palace [2]

Fighters trained

Nationality Name Weight Division(s) Titles held
Wales Joe Calzaghe Super-Middleweight and Light Heavyweight BBBofC, WBO, WBA, WBC and IBF Super-Middleweight belts. The Ring Light-Heavyweight belt.
Wales Italy Enzo Maccarinelli Cruiserweight WBU, WBO, and EBU belts.
Wales Gavin Rees Featherweight - Light Welterweight WBO Inter-continental Featherweight, BBBoC Lightweight belt. WBA Light-Welterweight World Champion.
Wales Nathan Cleverly Light-Heavyweight Commonwealth, BBBoC, EBU, WBO
Wales Bradley Pryce Super-Featherweight - Light-Middleweight WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight title, BBBoC Welterweight, WBU Light-Middleweight, Commonwealth Light-Middleweight,
Wales Gary Lockett Middleweight

[3]

References

  1. 1 2 http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sports/boxing-news/tm_headline=boxing--enzo-s-amazing-journey&method=full&objectid=18738075&siteid=50082-name_page.html
  2. ↑ http://www.caerphillyobserver.co.uk/news/3790/enzo-calzaghe-collects-mbe/
  3. ↑ Hubbard A The Independent | Father and son team are a knockout combination 28 October 2007
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