Joe Calzaghe, the undefeated Welsh boxing legend, faces a challenge from an old rival. Robin Reid, who fought Calzaghe in 1999, wants another shot at the man who beat him by split decision.
Calzaghe retired in 2008 with a perfect 46-0 record. He dominated the super-middleweight division for over a decade, making 21 title defenses. The southpaw also moved up to light heavyweight, beating big names like Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.
But it's the 1999 fight with Reid that's still talked about. The judges gave it to Calzaghe, but many thought Reid deserved the win. Even Carl Froch said Calzaghe got lucky that night.
Reid recently opened up about the fight. He told Hannibal Boxing:
"At the time, and even a couple of years after, I was a little bit bitter. Joe put it down to a bad performance instead of giving me a bit of credit. I'm not saying I'm a better fighter than Joe Calzaghe. Far from it. To go on and do what he achieved, I've got the utmost respect for him. He's a legend and I'm happy to have shared the ring with him."
Reid explained why he thought he had Calzaghe's number:
"All I'm saying is that styles make fights and on that day in 1999, my style was made to beat him, and he struggled with it. I couldn't miss with that overhand right that night, especially against a southpaw who comes looking to fight. We'd worked on that punch in the gym over and over again and it paid off. The tactics were spot on."
Now, Reid wants another go. In a recent interview, he called out Calzaghe:
"I've always called for the rematch since our fight in 1999, I think it was. It was a close fight. I got the chance to grace the ring with a super middleweight legend. I took it to a split decision; a lot of people thought I won the fight."
Reid sees a chance to make some money and settle old scores:
"Listen, Joe, why don't we do it again, mate? Why don't we sit down, have a little talk? It's not about revenge or anything like that. Like I say, the money's round now, I think it would create a lot of interest. Let's sit down at least, let's make it happen now."
But fans shouldn't get their hopes up. Calzaghe's been happily retired for years. He's unlikely to come back, even for an exhibition. The undefeated record means too much.
