Joe Calzaghe hit the canvas during an enthralling two-round war.
In his iconic career, ‘The Italian Dragon’ cemented his status as one of the greatest boxers of all time, mesmerizing fans with his unrelenting work rate and unrivaled will to win.
Calzaghe overcame injury to defeat Jeff Lacy and beat Bernard Hopkins in an epic grudge match.
But he really had to go to the well the first time he was dropped in his professional career.
WOW: Joe Calzaghe names the fighter who completely exhausted him
Joe Calzaghe got dropped by Byron Mitchell
On June 28, 2003, Joe Calzaghe engaged in a sensational firefight with Byron Mitchell at the International Arena in Cardiff, Wales.
After a quiet opener, the second round started with a bang when the American connected with a right hand that sent the hometown hero crashing toward the canvas.
Reminiscing over the moment in an interview with Sky Sports, the Welshman said: “He was very heavy-handed and it was a punch I didn’t see.
“I spun around and went down. I started boxing at the age of nine, and I never got dropped in 120 amateur fights. I had never been hurt or dropped in sparring or in 35 fights as a professional. I had never tasted the canvas.
“I was certainly buzzed up. I still remember seeing him across the ring, thinking, ‘oh dear, this is the first time ever’.”
Fighting fire with fire, Calzaghe detonated a bomb that exploded on Mitchell’s face and sent him tumbling towards the ground.
Realizing he had to take his chance, the undefeated warrior put together a series of combinations that prompted the referee to jump in.
Joe Calzaghe retired boxer who played Brad Pitt’s body double
Mitchell isn’t the only big name whom Calzaghe stopped over the years.
On one occasion, he went head-to-head with a former WBC world champion, who once had an interesting role to play in a film.
In a great performance, Calzaghe stopped Brad Pitt’s body double.