Calzaghe: I was born hard - Sport in brief - Evening Standard
       

Calzaghe: I was born hard

Joe Calzaghe has poured scorn on Bernard Hopkins' conviction that his 56-month stretch in a Pennsylvania penitentiary will give him the edge in Saturday night's Las Vegas super-fight.

Hopkins is never short of words when it comes to discussing the time he spent inside from the age of 17, and maintains the experience gave him the hunger to reign for over a decade as world middleweight champion.

But Calzaghe, who experienced a relatively serene upbringing in the Welsh countryside, said: "Hopkins says he had to go to prison to make himself hard. That means he's weak. Me? I was born hard."

He added: "Hopkins has been to prison. Big deal, give him a medal. I was knocking out sparring partners who had been to prison when I was a 14-year-old kid.

"I'm beginning to think they must teach people to talk so much rubbish out here when they are at school. They talk so much of it. I don't care about his reputation.

"On Saturday I am going to make a grown man cry."

Sport in brief in Pictures

Don't Miss
Gala night for the Queen of arts - stars turn out in their hundreds to pay tribute

Happy & glorious

Stars turn out in their hundreds to pay tribute to Queen
Prints charming: patterned trousers for summer

Prints charming

Patterned trousers for summer
Promethipedia: the lowdown on Ridley Scott's new blockbuster Prometheus

Promethipedia

The lowdown on Ridley Scott's new blockbuster Prometheus
The Middletan: Kate Middleton has the most requested tan in London

The Middletan

Kate Middleton has the most requested tan in London
Amy Childs bares all like Britney

Dare to bare

Amy Childs vajazzles like Britney
Thais go Gaga: singer’s ‘fake rolex’ tweet sparks new tour row... but fans still mob her at airport

Thais go Gaga

Singer mobbed at airport
Trip the bright fantastic - in vertiginous neon

Fashion

Trip the bright fantastic - in vertiginous neon
Chelsea Champions League celebrations - in pictures

Victory parade

Chelsea Champions League celebrations
High-flying heroes

High flying heroes

David Oyelowo reveals all about new film Red Tails
The Twitter Diaries: Think Bridget Jones tries social networking

The Twitter Diaries

Think Bridget Jones tries social networking