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Manics singer pulls no punches in Calzaghe interview
Manic Street Preachers lead singer James Dean Bradfield has taken his
love of Welsh sport to a whole new level.
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Bradfield travelled to Abercarn to interview fellow Gwent legend and WBO
Super-middleweight world boxing champion, Joe Calzaghe, ahead of the
biggest fight of his career, for 大象传媒 Radio Wales programme The Back Page tomorrow morning (Saturday 3 November).
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This weekend the Welshman puts his WBO and Ring Magazine
Super Middleweight titles on the line against Denmark's Mikkel Kessler,
who holds the WBA and WBC belts.
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The fight will be broadcast live on Radio Wales in Radio Wales Sportstime in a programme starting at 12.30am on Saturday night/Sunday morning.
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The Manics front-man talks to Calzaghe about his use of negative energy
in fights, his thoughts on not being involved in the Barcelona Olympics
and just what "Team Calzaghe" could do to help turn around the fortunes
of Welsh sport.
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Talking about his British title defence against Mark Delaney in 1996,
where he had to face his opponent with 2,000 Delaney fans baying for his
blood, Calzaghe says: "It was awesome. It's great having the crowd with you but in the
Delaney fight I probably had about 40 supporters in a crowd of 2,000
all swearing and shouting.
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"So I turned that negative energy into
positive energy. Beating the guy in the style I did over five rounds and
afterwards finally getting the respect from the crowd, that was great."
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Bradfield says:
"To their credit, that crowd actually did show you respect at the end
and you don't really get that in many other sports. In my game when I go
on stage the people want to see us play well. But you like actually turn
a whole crowd around, it's unique."
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Asked for his thoughts on not making it to the Barcelona
Olympics, Calzaghe says:
"It's one of the biggest disappointments of my boxing career, not going
to the Olympics...
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"I was sitting at home with the Barcelona Olympics on
watching Robin Reed get a Bronze medal - knowing I could kick Robin
Reed's ass and basically I could have won the gold medal." 听
Following a poor year for Welsh sport in general Bradfield suggests that
Calzaghe's father could fill a gap in Welsh sport and teach
people how to win.
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Calzaghe says: "I think he'd definitely shake a lot of people up a bit. Maybe bring
some rugby or the football boys down here and see what it's like to do a
proper day's training, that could be a start.
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"And honestly having a few
hours with my dad screaming and balling in your ear, it's definitely an
eye opener."
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Steffan Garrero, presenter of The Back Page, said:
"We've tried to get James onto the programme a few times but because of
recording and touring we've never managed to sort it out until now.
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"When
we offered him the chance of interviewing Calzaghe he got in touch
straight away.
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"They're both from the same part of the Gwent Valley and James reveals
that Joe actually ended his 'very average running career' after Calzaghe
sprinted past him three times when they were youngsters."
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The band's links with sport in Wales are longstanding. They have written
songs including lyrics about Matthew Maynard and Phil Bennett, presented
Mark Hughes with the 大象传媒 Wales Sport Personality of the Year Award in
2002 and Bradfield once changed the chorus to Everything Must Go to
Bobby Gould Must Go when they played live at Cardiff Castle.
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After The Back Page has gone out listeners can hear it again by going to
bbc.co.uk/radiowales and clicking on
the "Listen Again" link and selecting the programme from the menu.
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Or, download the interview from the Radio Wales Podcasts page by
clicking on the "Browse our Podcasts" link.
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The Back Page, 大象传媒 Radio Wales, Saturday 3 November 2007, 8.30am
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Radio Wales Sportstime, Saturday 2 November, 12.30am
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大象传媒 Wales Press Office
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