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Page last updated at 06:14 GMT, Monday, 2 June 2008 07:14 UK

Lockett centre of verbal sparring

Pavlik v Lockett tale of the tape

Gary Lockett and Kelly Pavlik's camps have ignited a war of words ahead of their world middleweight title clash.

Champion Pavlik's trainer Jack Loew taunted Lockett's coach Enzo Calzaghe about his style in which he trained his world champion son Joe.

Loew said: "Enzo can teach Lockett to slap like a girl - just like Joe."

But Calzaghe hit back: "I had to go on the internet because I'd never even heard of this person Jack Loew. And all I found was that he paves driveways."

Enzo Calzaghe and Gary Lockett
He's never seen Lockett fight but Lockett knows all about Kelly Pavlik

Coach Enzo Calzaghe

Unbeaten American Pavlik is the new superstar of the boxing world and is expected to make short work of relative unknown Lockett in his first title defence.

The Welsh mandatory challenger has never fought anyone in Pavlik's league but should his punch have the force of coach Calzaghe's verbal tirade, then the champion could be in for a surprise.

"Once Lockett has dealt with Pavlik and Loew is out of boxing then at least he can go back to paving driveways," insisted Calzaghe.

"I've got no one to answer to. I've trained four world champions and I won trainer of the year in America for 2007."

Super-middleweight king Joe Calzaghe is Lockett's universally revered stablemate and on his American debut earlier this year, the 36-year-old defeated Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas.

Boxing pundits had predicted a showdown between Calzaghe jnr and Pavlik in the wake of Calzaghe's narrow points victory over Hopkins.

But it's power-puncher Lockett that faces Pavlik at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on Saturday, 7 June.

And Calzaghe snr continued: "Loew had better hope and pray that Lockett doesn't slap like Joe because if he does it's going to be goodnight for Kelly Pavlik.

"All I can say is that Joe must slap pretty hard because he's knocked out 32 of his opponents and been an undefeated world champion for more than a decade.

"Ask Bernard Hopkins, Jeff Lacy and Mikkel Kessler if Joe Calzaghe slaps.

"When Pavlik is world champion for 11 years and has made 21 title defences like Joe then I will listen to Loew, but Pavlik hasn't even held his title for a year.


"He'd better make sure that he is double prepared or even triple prepared for Gary Lockett."

Pavlik was crowned WBC and WBO champion after a seventh round knock-out of Jermain Taylor in Atlantic City last September.

And Calzaghe said: "I've got a lot of respect for Pavlik because he's the champion and he beat Jermain Taylor twice.

"Anyone who does that has my respect.

"But I have not seen anything from Kelly Pavlik whatsoever that worries me.

"He's a good fighter but he's mechanical, it's the same thing, same thing, same thing all the time. I can't get worried about it.

"He's never heard of Gary Lockett, never seen him fight but Lockett knows all about Kelly Pavlik. His team open their mouths and talk the talk, but can they walk the walk?

"Joe's my son and I'm also his trainer but this is Gary's fight next Saturday, not Joe's.

"Loew's big ego and mouth seem to be going in a different direction than his brain and he is getting carried away talking about fighting Joe, let's see what happens on the night first."

see also
Wales' greatest US fight nights
25 Mar 08 |  Boxing
Wales' boxing world champions
25 Mar 08 |  Boxing
BBC Sport Wales coverage
23 Mar 08 |  Wales

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