British boxing legend Joe Calzaghe CBE is coming to Greater Manchester for not one but two charity dinners, interviews and Q&A sessions later this year.
The former unified WBA, WBC and WBO champion retired back in 2009 as one of the UK’s greatest-ever fighters, boasting an undefeated record of 46-0 and plenty of iconic victories to his name.
It’s fair to say the London-born Welshman has a lot of stories to tell and with some of his biggest-ever bouts coming here in Manchester, including his Arena fight against David Starie and the legendary ‘Judgement Day’ win against Jeff Lacy to claim the Super Middleweight World Championship.
So, with that in mind, the 52-year-old has decided to bring two special ‘An Evening Joe Calzaghe’ events to the region where he enjoyed so much success, hosting one in Manchester and another at Edgeley Park, the home of Stockport County Football Club.
Credit: The Manc Group/Supplied/Tea Chimp (via Flickr)
Ringing the opening bell at Edgeley Park on Friday, fans of the ‘Pride of Wales’ and boxing in general will be able to get up close and personal with the sporting legend.
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Starting from humble beginnings, Calzaghe – who also became known as the ‘Italian Dragon’ due to his Italian heritage – rose through the ranks and went on to face off against some of the all-time greats in the industry such as Mikkel Kessler, Chris Eubank, Roy Jones Jr and more.
He also came out on top on every single occasion.
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Rated by fellow fighter, friend and Manc boxing legend Ricky Hatton as “the greatest British fighter we’ve ever had”, Calzaghe’s record-breaking flawless across multiple weight classes fell nothing short of a sight to behold over the 15 years he spent in the ring.
Certified as the longest-reigning super-middleweight world champion in boxing history, having held the WBO title for over ten years and defending it against a total of 20 opponents (a shared record in the division alongside Sven Ottke) he was an absolute force to be reckoned with.
And soon you’ll be able to see him in the flesh over in Trafford, just across from the Theatre of Dreams, or right in the heart of SK.
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Ding, ding! 🔔🥊
EP Events will be hosting ‘An Evening with Joe Calzaghe CBE’ on Friday September 20th.
The undefeated, world champion boxer will be taking his gloves off and laying it all out on the table with anecdotes from his undefeated 46-0 career!
The two evenings with feature a two-course dinner, live interview, Q&A session and an auction for charity, not to mention some other surprise in store at each date on his UK tour, which makes its first stop in Manchester next month.
Calzaghe will also take to the stage alongside comedian and impressionist, Al Foran, who will be bringing boatloads of belly laughs to warm guests up for a knockout evening.
Even more excitingly, VIP ticket holders will be able to meet Joe in person for a photo and signing opportunity just before dinner is served.
You can grab your tickets to see Joe Calzaghe at Edgeley Park on Friday, 20 September, or at Hotel Football on Thursday, 24 October HERE.
Tommy Fury announces return to boxing after his ‘hardest battle’ yet
Danny Jones
Manc boxer Tommy Fury has announced his return to the ring later this year, although he’s still keeping tight-lipped about some of the finer detailsabout his next fight.
Tommy Fury has been stuck on the sidelines for the best part of the last two years following his last boxing match against influencer and musician KSI, having reluctantly stepped away from boxing through injury and well-publicised personal issues outside of the sport.
He ultimately pulled out of his intended comeback against Darren Till ahead of what looked to be an already fraught face-off, and his been quiet on the competitive front ever since – until now.
Revealing a scheduled date for the next fight, the 25-year-old took to social media to confirm that he will be back very soon but is withholding some of the particulars for now.
Writing in the caption, the younger Fury brother said: “Two years out. One surgery. The hardest battle I’ve faced has been the mental battle of being away from boxing. But I’m back stronger, sharper, and more HUNGARY than ever.”
However, the most notable omission is who he will actually be taking on, i.e. one of the main reasons fight fans would be interested in the first place.
Although many have been left frustrated by the infrequency of his fights due to multiple cancellations, it’s clearly a concerted effort to build anticipation ahead of the event.
Sharing the date for his Budapest bout – which is coming much sooner than many would have expected (Friday, 9 May) – he signed off by adding: “It’s showtime. Let’s go!”
Besides the social media post, the local fighter published a lengthy announcement video/teaser trailer on the official Tommy Fury YouTube channel on Monday night, in which he states, “the contract has literally just been signed as we speak”.
You can watch the feature in full down below:
In truth, the majority of the video is about brand deals, but it does show getting some training done.
Hyping up his undefeated record, with 10 wins to his name thus far in his still fairly fledgling boxing career, he goes on to say he is “over the moon” and ready to get back in business.
Only time will tell whether this fight will actually go ahead as his followers have gotten more than used to seeing his matches postponed or cancelled. First and foremost, who do you think his comeback opponent is gong to be?
His name has mostly been in the headlines due to his high-profile relationship with fellow famous face Molly Mae-Hague.
The couple, who first met on Love Island back in 2019, welcomed their first child, Bambi, back in January 2023 but went on to split up last August. A docuseries covering their struggles dropped at the start of this year.
Featured Images — Screenshot (via YouTube)/Ghazi Twaissi (via WikiCommons)/The Manc Group
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Belle Vue manager warns of former Aces ahead of Premiership clash
Danny Jones
Belle Vue Aces boss and Aussie speedway legend Mark Lemon has warned his side of Oxford Spires’ quality ahead of their face-off in the Premiership, especially as they prepare to come against some ex-ATPI employees.
With a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership round coming up on Monday night (14 April) and the Aces second in the table with five early points total on the board already, the CEO, Director and Team Manager isn’t underestimating the southern opponents.
Even though Oxford have had a tough start to the season, the Manchester racers can’t afford to be complacent, and Lemon has already identified some key threats on the track, including two former Aces.
It’ll be a thrilling night at the National Speedway Stadium (NSS), as always.
𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼…
♣️ ATPI Aces v Oxford Spires ⛪️ 🗓️ Monday, April 14, 7.30pm. 🏆 Premiership R1. 🏟️ National Speedway Stadium. 🎟️ Get ticket now: https://t.co/DREWNjxB09 🍴 Hospitality: https://t.co/RFS3gcPD99
Speaking on Sunday ahead of the races, the 52-year-old said: “I know it’s a cliche, but there really aren’t any easy meetings in the Premiership.
“We know what Oxford’s riders are capable of; Rohan [Tungate] and Charles [Wright] can be very good at the National Speedway Stadium, and that makes them dangerous.
“When you add in the likes of [Maciej] Janowski, Erik Riss and guest Dan Thompson, [Oxford Spires] are a strong side.”
33-year-old ‘Magic’ Janoswki from Poland is not only a former world number three but has four FIM Speedway World Cup gold medals to his name.
Nevertheless, the Aces have bounced back after a disappointing 50-40 defeat in the KO Cup by Ipswich Witches to record a double over King’s Lynn Stars, with a narrow loss against Leicester still showing plenty of fight and promise for the rest of the campaign.
Belle Vue Aces’ Jaimon Lidsey pushing hard against King’s Lynn – here’s hoping for more of that against Oxford. (Credit: Taylor Lanning)
Lemon went on to assure that he remains confident, however, adding: “We’re settling back into a routine. It was good that all the boys are getting confidence-building scores.
“Zach Cook, Norick Blodorn and Jake Mulford have all started winning key races and scoring well. Tate Zischke is also solving some bike issues.
“As I’ve said before, at this time of the season, it’s about building momentum. That’s the target.”
The Aces get underway against the Spires at the NSS just down the road in Gorton from 7:30pm – best of luck to all those at Belle Vue.
Danny Jones -
14th August 2024 
