Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ It's My Dream Year - Joe Calzaghe, by Joe Calzaghe, thisisgwent.co.uk

[Glax0r]

It's my dream year - Joe Calzaghe

by Joe Calzaghe

AT THE start of what I expect to be a dream year for me it may be a good time to try a little crystal ball gazing and my prediction is it's going to be a good 2006 for Welsh boxing.

In 2005 I doubt many people would disagree that Manchester's Ricky Hatton was fighter of the year because of what he achieved in beating Kostya Tszyu to win the undisputed world light-welterweight championship.

In retrospect, Tszyu may have been past his best, but at the time of their meeting he was lauded as one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world.

So Hatton beat a big name guy in good style and it will be difficult for him to top that in 2006 because to do so he would have to defeat Floyd Mayweather or Zab Judah.

They are two quality fighters with good hand speed and I think Ricky might have a lot of trouble against fighters with good hand speed and movement.

But I know him well, he's a great guy and nobody wishes him more success in 2006 than I do.

But Welsh boxers can certainly pave the way this year and I have already written in this column that Swansea's Enzo Maccarinelli can become number one cruiserweight by defeating WBO champion Johnny Nelson.

Another Welshman who can be a world champion is a fellow man of Gwent, Gary Lockett, who fights Sheffield's Ryan Rhodes for the WBU middleweight crown on March 11 - a week after I meet Jeff Lacy.

I show no disrespect to Lockett or indeed Maccarinelli (currently a WBU champion) in saying most WBU champions would'nt count themselves as world champions.

But but it's a big step in the right direction for Lockett who has suffered a number of setbacks and disappointments.

I've known Ryan Rhodes for years. He fought on the bill when I beat Chris Eubank to win my world title in 1997, knocking out Yuri Epifanstev in two rounds in a final eliminator for the WBO world title.

He was touted to do massive things but it just didn't happen. He was beaten twice in world title bids, knocked out in two rounds by Jason Matthews the second time as things went wrong.

He's a quality fighter but whether he retains his ability now I'm not too sure.

Gary's a good fighter who can punch with both hands and though Rhodes can do that as well, I think the difference is that Gary is much better at taking a punch.

Rhodes has been knocked out twice so there has to be a question mark concerning his chin while Gary has never really been wobbled or shaken.

I think the fight will probably be a quick one between two punchers who fancy their chances and I think they could stand toe-to-toe until one goes.

It's a big fight for both because the loser won't have anywhere to go.

For Gary it has been a long way back after his loss to Yuri Tsarenko (in 2002, a loss avenged a year later) and subsequent injuries and illnesses, so now is his time.

He will be the home fighter with the crowd behind him so I'd definitely put him as favourite and think he'll do the job.

On a personal note, I think Blackwood's Nathan Cleverley from my own Newbridge stable is a young boxer to watch in 2006.

He boxed well last time (to KO Lance Hall) and I've definitely seen a big improvement in the last six months. He has height and range and excellent hand speed and if he's matched right and allowed to mature and strengthen I think he has the ability and potential to be a champion.

Gavin Rees (from Newbridge) is coming back (after suspension following a fracas outside the ring) and he remains undefeated, wining all 22 fights.

He was ranked number one featherweight in the world by the WBO and if he can get his head together and sustain his training he, too, can still be a champion.

Both he and Cleverley hope to reappear on the Lockett bill at the Newport Centre.

And Bradley Pryce (also from Newbridge) has put himself back in the title picture after one of the fights of the year (in losing on points to British welterweight champion Michael Jennings) and he could get another chance in 2006.

But the final prediction is for myself. I'm going to unify the super-middleweight division by bashing Jeff Lacy up and then I'm going to win the light-heavyweight title or perhaps have a mega-fight against Antonio Tarver. That would be wicked year for me, a dream year as I said earlier.

I'm in full training now after the holiday period and looking forward to the Lacy fight.

That's means training twice a day, sometimes three times, mostly running for around six miles in the morning followed by a few hours in the gym in the afternoon, but I won't spar for a few weeks yet because you have to build up gradually.

[alannatkiel]

A dream year all right. His ass is going to wake up and wonder if Jeff Lacy is the Tooth Fairy

[johndavi]

A dream year all right.  His ass is going to wake up and wonder if Jeff Lacy is the Tooth Fairy

Pretty good thinking on his part, Jeff usually does put the opponent in dreamland ......

[chaddadi]

What good fighter has Jeff Lacy put into Dreamland, he has good strength and good power but it's not devastating.

[digimortal]

Lacy has nothing for Calzaghe. I've seen them both live, everyone thinks Lacy has a stronger punch but I don't know - Calzaghe is a smarter boxer and his shots are untestifiably hard but he uses the Hit and don't get hit method - he's not reckless like Lacy is.

Don't be suprised if Calzaghe takes Lacy late into the rounds and then drops him in the 8th

[parrish]

Good analysis. I don't think Calzaghe will do him in 8 rounds but, the welshman is good!. And i am a lacy fan, but i've watched the welshman since he beat chris eubank for his title, the man can crack and he has good movement / rythem. Lacy is dam Good but i hope he doesn't take this fight lightly, because the welshman can take a decent blow and give one, his only real weakness to me is his hands. And for lacy though it hasn't happened in a while but his left or right eye swells pretty bad. A problem that has not arisin in awhile but they never found out what the problem was...