Calzaghe: Groves, Cleverly The Future of British Boxing

By Mark Vester

Retired super middleweight king Joe Calzaghe has a lot of respect for rising British stars Nathan Cleverly and George Groves. Calzaghe says the two unbeaten fighters have what it takes to become the future leading men in British boxing. Calzaghe says Cleverly, a top light heavyweight, is very similar to him in terms of their training and fighting ability.

“I love Nathan to bits. A lot of things have been written about our relationship but he’s a lovely guy and he reminds me a lot of myself,” said Calzaghe to South Wales Argus. “He’s stayed in Blackwood, his dad’s his trainer, he’s grounded and he works so hard. His fitness and speed work are similar to me – he doesn’t stop."

“Everybody needs a role model. My dad trained him from a young kid. He trained with me and sparred with me for years and I saw him develop. Champions breed champions and I’m proud of him. Obviously he’s training with his dad now and he’s the one who has to put in the hard work every day but I’m happy that we’ve had something to do with that."

The same goes for Groves. Calzaghe says the unbeaten super middleweight will one day become a major world champion and rise to great heights - if he continues to stay strong with his dedication to the sport.

"I watched George on the pads and he impressed me a lot. He's very sharp, quick and seems to have every shot in the book. He's only going to get better, too, as he's surrounded by other good fighters in the gym and success breeds success. He's definitely someone to keep an eye on in my old weight division," Calzaghe said.

"George is right at the beginning of his journey now and he's still growing as a fighter. He seems hungry to prove himself and doesn't want to be held back. That's a good attitude to have at this point. So long as he gets the right fights at the right time, and continues to learn as he goes, his talent will take him all the way. He's a standout prospect in the division and I'm excited to see how he progresses in the coming years."

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