Joe Calzaghe v Jeff Lacy signed presentation replica belt IBF, WBO and The Ring 'Judgement Day' belt won by Calzaghe against Jeff 'Left Hook' Lacy, 4 March 2006 Red and white vinyl with fake fur on the reverse, central gold-coloured metal, enamel, and simulated gem-set medallion with raising lettering 'IBF / World Champion / International Boxing Federation', two blank plaques on either side, the left hand end with further rectangular plaque, the right hand end with Calzaghe's signature in gold marker approx. 29 x 120cm Footnotes: THE IBF BELT AWARDED TO CALZAGHE FOR 'ARGUABLY THE BEST PERFORMANCE EVER BY A BRITISH BOXER'. He threw over a thousand punches in a fight that alerted the United States to his talent and sealed his place in the pantheon of boxing's greats. Joe Calzaghe is one of only fifteen World Champions to retire undefeated, and he is acknowledged as arguably the best super-middle weight of all time. He fought through five different weight categories from his amateur days, and his professional career spanned fifteen years (1993-2008) and 46 fights with 32 KOs. He established his credentials in 1997 by beating Chris Eubank in a punishing fight 'at a hot pace' which Calzaghe reckoned to be the toughest of his career to that date. He took the WBO Champion's belt in doing so and then defended his title, burnishing his reputation in a string of performances over the next five years. He suffered injuries towards the end of that period and even fought with a broken hand as he set up a long-awaited unification fight with Jeff Lacy. In 2006 he faced Lacy, for the IBF (and WBO) titles. Calzaghe came in as the underdog, with the American unbeaten, explosive, and compared to a young Mike Tyson. Despite doctor's advice over a wrist injury in training, he followed his father's urging to take advantage of being 'in the best shape of his life'. In what is considered the finest performance of his career, and one that Calzaghe thought transformed his reputation, making him - in his own words - 'immortal', he started sharply. Ignoring the hype around Lacy, who was undefeated over 21 fights with eighteen knockouts, he looked relaxed and confident, though it was not until the fourth round that he started to emerge as the likely winner. He nullified Lacy's trademark left hook, worked him over in a masterclass, and knocked him to the canvas for the first time in his career in the final round. The judges scored it overwhelmingly in Calzaghe's favour and the press hailed him as one of the greats. This fight set up his crowning year of 2007 in which he became undisputed Super Middleweight Champion before moving on to retire as Light Heavyweight Champion a year later; an unblemished record of 46 fights and no losses. In doing so, he won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award in 2007 and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014. Provenance: UK private collection. Includes a letter of authenticity dated 21 April 2006 and issued by Global Authentication Inc. of Irvine, CA, no. GV169786. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing