Joe Calzaghe is one of few champions to retire undefeated. He left the sport with a record of 46-0.
Calzaghe quit boxing in 2008, having become a two-weight world champion after defending his super-middleweight title 20 times over ten years.
He holds numerous wins of note on his record, including victories over Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr., and Chris Eubank, who exhausted Calzaghe.
There is one man he retired eight years before his retirement that had an interesting career opportunity outside of boxing.
Joe Calzaghe retired his friend and Brad Pitt’s body double – Richie Woodhall
In 2000, Richie Woodhall retired after a tenth-round stoppage loss to Calzaghe.
Richie had won the WBC super-middleweight title in 1998 against Thulani Malinga, who beat Nigel Benn, but fell short in his attempt to snatch Calzaghe’s WBO title.
It was also in 2000 that Guy Ritchie’s iconic gangster film ‘Snatch’ was released, a film which stars Woodhall as the body double to Brad Pitt, who watched Manny Pacquiao KO Ricky Hatton.
Pitt plays Mickey O’Neil, a traveller known for his boxing skills, making it the perfect role for Woodhall to fill in for. The film also stars Jason Statham and Stephen Graham.
Woodhall also trained actor Matthew Marsden for his role in the movie ‘Shiner’, another boxing-centred film.
Woodhall is one of many boxers to feature in movies, with Tony Bellew punching Michael B. Jordan on set as part of his role as the antagonist in the ‘Creed’ movies, and Sylvester Stallone asking Joe Frazier to play Clubber Lang in ‘Rocky 3’.
Richie Woodhall remains in boxing to this day
Woodhall may not be a boxer anymore, but he is still involved in boxing as a commentator.
He co-commentates with Mike Costello for some boxing shows.
He suffered a defeat to Roy Jones Jr. in the amateurs before kickstarting his successful pro career and left the sport with a record of 26-3.