Widely regarded as Britain's finest boxer, Joe Calzaghe hung up his gloves with an unblemished record, having reigned as super-middleweight champion for over a decade. He also made history by defeating two legends in the United States.

Thirty years ago, a pivotal moment in his career took place at an Essex leisure centre. Calzaghe shared his memories with Sky Sports about his first professional bout in the away corner: 'It was my first British title defence, with a record of 16-0 at the time. My promoter, Mickey Duff, lost the purse bid to Barry Hearn and Matchroom, so we had to fight in Mark Delaney's backyard, with him being unbeaten.' Up until that point, the 24-year-old Calzaghe had dominated his opponents, with 14 of his 16 fights ending before the fifth round, including his British title win against Stephen Wilson at the Royal Albert Hall.

This fight, however, was different due to the hostile atmosphere. Calzaghe recalled: 'The Brentwood Centre was a challenging environment, with booing, spitting, and name-calling.

But I drew energy from it and remained focused.' Calzaghe was confident of a knockout victory and started strong, dropping his opponent in the first round and several times after. The fight was stopped in the fifth round, cementing Calzaghe's burgeoning reputation on ITV's 'The Big Fight'. He stated: 'I started fast, punching hard with my left hand, and controlled the fight. It was supposed to be a test, but I came through it emphatically.' The win was against a 21-0 opponent, but Calzaghe's promoter, Mickey Duff, was unhappy, having bet on a win within the first four rounds.

Calzaghe humorously revealed: 'I apologised to him, despite it being my biggest win to date.' Calzaghe's corner consisted of three significant figures: Duff, Terry Lawless, and his father and trainer, Enzo. When asked about potential conflicts, Calzaghe clarified: 'My dad made it clear he was the main trainer, and I listened to him.' Following the victory, Calzaghe was one successful defence away from earning the Lonsdale Belt outright.

However, a week before his next fight, he rolled his ankle in a pothole while running, forcing him to withdraw. Calzaghe eventually split with Duff, joining Frank Warren, which led to him relinquishing his British title.

He reflected: 'My goal was always to be a world champion, so I had to take that step.' By October 1997, Calzaghe achieved his dream, beating Chris Eubank to become WBO super-middleweight champion. Looking back, Calzaghe expressed no regrets about not staying in the domestic scene longer to claim the Lonsdale Belt, saying: 'It would have been nice, but I don't have any regrets. Things happen, and I went on to have a decent career.'