Ringside Report Looks Back at the Life of Enzo Calzaghe – Trainer & Father to the Undefeated Joe Calzaghe
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By Tyler “The Miracle Man” White
On Monday 17th September, the world of boxing lost another legend and another world class trainer, in the shape of Enzo Calzaghe.
Enzo Calzaghe is best known for accompanying his son on his journey to world domination in the professional ranks, whilst also training other top level fighters, such as: Enzo Maccarinelli, Gavin Rees, Nathan Cleverly and Bradley Pryce.
However, before he became a world class boxing trainer, Enzo lived quite the adventurer’s lifestyle and I want to talk a little bit more about the life of Enzo Calzaghe and his humble beginnings…
Enzo Calzaghe was born in Sardinia, which is an Italian island, at the start of 1949.
At the age of 2, Enzo moved to Bedfordshire in England where he attended school alongside the former European Heavyweight champion – Joe Bugner. However, whilst at school Enzo was bullied and his father ended up teaching him how to box, in order to protect himself from those bullying him!
As soon as Calzaghe entered his teenage years, his parents upped sticks again and moved back to Italy, where Enzo tried his luck at football and tried to make it as a professional footballer.
Although that didn’t work out for him, he certainly made a good go of it and later found himself as a regular player for the Italian Air Force football squad after he was enlisted for national service at the age of 19.
A man of many talents, Calzaghe left the Air Force after completing his national service and decided to travel Europe – making money as a busker and hitch-hiking his way around the continent.
After a few years of travelling, Enzo decided to head back to England and managed to get himself a job as a waiter in a local restaurant. He saved up money in order to get him back home to Sardinia, even sleeping in the restaurant over night to save money!
Once he’d saved up enough, Calazaghe went to board a train in order to make his way back home. However, the voice over the tannoy said that a train was on route to Cardiff and it was Calzaghe’s decision to hop on that train instead, that would shape the remainder of his life…
Shortly after arriving in Cardiff, Enzo found work and fell in love with one of his colleagues – Jackie – who he went on to marry only 4 weeks later! Calzaghe was working a number of jobs at the time, in order to save up money to support his wife and the children that they were planning to have.
Despite working multiple jobs however, Enzo still found time to head down to the local boxing gym where he met Paul Williams – who was the head trainer at the Newbridge Boxing Club.
Just like his father, Joe Calzaghe, was bullied at school. As a result, Enzo ended up doing what his father before him did and began to teach Joe how to box…
Enzo however, took it one step further and after liaising with Paul Williams, took his son Joe down to the Newbridge Boxing Club and the rest is history!
What followed, was Enzo eventually becoming assistant coach, before taking over the gym and running it up until the year 2002.
Calazaghe was a very successful amateur coach, guiding his son, amongst many other amateur fighters, to win 4 schoolboy ABA titles and end his career as an amateur boxer with a record of 112-10.
Enzo would later go on to become a professional boxing trainer, as soon as his son got his pro license, eventually winning the prestigious “Ring Magazine” Trainer of the Year award in 2007.
Alongside winning this prestigious award from the infamous “Ring Magazine”, Enzo was the man who guided his son Joe to capture the WBO, WBC, IBF, Ring Magazine and WBA Super-Middleweight World titles.
The devoted father and trainer was also there in his corner, when Joe Calzaghe moved up a weight class and dethroned “The Executioner” Bernard Hopkins at Light-Heavyweight.
In what was an exciting and thrilling career as a pro boxing trainer, Enzo Calzaghe retired in 2008 after his son defeated Roy Jones, JR. by unanimous decision.
Ending both his and Joe’s career on a high…
A couple of years after Enzo’s son retired, the former trainer was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to sport – a fitting reward for the man’s dedication to the sport and maybe more impressively his dedication and commitment to his son throughout his lifetime.
If ever you want to see a video, that captures the bond between this incredibly successful duo, then check out the video of Joe and Enzo speaking to the cameras, after Joe was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame…
Rest in Peace, Enzo Calazaghe – a legendary trainer in the world of boxing. Ringside Report extends our condolences to the Calazaghe Family in their time of grief.
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