Joe Calzaghe vs Will McIntyre: "Smokin Joe Lights Kid Fire"

By Chris Curry

16.10.01 - In the shadows of British Boxing, when Lennox Lewis and Prince Naseem Hamed stole the show, the WBO Super Middleweight Champion of the World, Joe
Calzaghe was denied the respect of an unbeaten World Champion, but has finally rose to the top of the crop of British Boxing and is the number one Super Middleweight Champion in the World, regardless of whatever some may think of the title, WBO.

The proud Welshman Calzaghe, entered Saturdays fight on the Mike Tyson card
in Denmark for his ninth defence of his World Championship and gave the World an awesome display of what he can produce, showing speed, thunderous power punching, charisma and everything you would expect of a worldwide star.

Calzaghe said of his fight against Will "Kid Fire" Mclntyre, who took the place of Charles Brewer and Antwun Echols, both had turned down the Welsh ace, "This is a battle of the granite Chins, I want to be the first to knock Mclntyre out."

Round one of the contest and Joe set out quiet in the first half of the round, having a look at the task ahead, landing at will and showing "Kid Fire" some of his artillery, the fight came alive when Calzaghe landed hard shots deep into the body of Mclntyre and then smashing right hooks from his southpaw stance into Mclntyre's head. "Kid Fire" realised he was in with a World Champion when Joe let loose, breaking the clouds above, unleashing his thunder and bringing a storm into the ring of non stop punching, raining hurtful left hands, right hooks and body shots that must have shook him to the soles of his feet. The last forty seconds of the round and Joe was like the pistons of a car, sending a barrage of punches and letting the combinations flow, this was "Kid Fire's" wake up call, that he was about to be smoked!

Round two and Calzaghe picked his punches with excellence, picking McIntyre off, landing sharp accurate combinations, showing his boxing skills and leaving McIntyre with little answers. Round three and Joe set out to tell his foe, this was the beginning of the end. Calzaghe Rocked the head of "Kid fire" back throughout with hard left hands and beating him to the punch sending his head rocking with streams of jabs, bloodying the nose of McIntyre, who looked very broken up and was receiving a lesson of the jab and cracking combinations on the way. A well timed left uppercut sets McIntyre on "fire" and reeling into the ropes helplessly, Calzaghe signals that McIntyre has taken enough, but he's allowed to continue and is saved by the bell as Calzaghe pounced towards his prey for the finish.

The finish came in round four, Joe set out rushing him with the jab, and rocking big left hooks and setting off the fireworks with another speedy hard series of power punching, sending the Will and bravery of Kid fire crashing, leaving the referee, Rudy Battle no choice, but to end the contest saving the blood stained Challenger a round late.

After another successful defence, an excellent showcase of talent to the world and to the audience in which Joe wants to impress, the American's. Calzaghe paid tribute to his opponents bravery. The WBO Super Middleweight Champion of the World said " I give a lot of respect to "Kid Fire" he deserves a lot of credit for coming over here, a lot of people didn't want this fight."

"I'm the best Super Middleweight in the world, I've proved it again and again. I want Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins, he's looking for a fight, hey I'm ready, bring it up to Super Middleweight and lets get Bernard Hopkins, that would be a great fight. I'm ready to come to America, I've got all the class, the punching power, the boxing skills and I'm ready to take America by storm."

There are so many great fights for Joe Calzaghe, he's a proven World Champion ready to step up to the challenge against today's Greats and put it all on the line. Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr are the biggest tests out there, he can unify the Super Middleweight division for he's the King of the Super Middleweights, the Undisputed Champion, regardless of the Belts who call people, Champion. Joe needs a big fight, a defining fight to see how good he really is. The only fights out there to do this is Roy Jones Jr and Bernard Hopkins, we hope the man in the middle of the two Undisputed WorldChampions, can bring his pedigree to the table against them and give the World a better match up than the "fantasy" fight that Felix Trinidad gave Bernard Hopkins and would have given Roy Jones Jr.

By Chris Curry, Belfast, Northern Ireland.