Calzaghe unbeaten in New York boxing showdown

Undefeated Welshman Joe Calzaghe recovered from a first-round knockdown and pummeled Roy Jones jnr until the final bell Saturday to earn a unanimous 12-round decision in a light heavyweight showdown at Madison Square Garden.

All three judges scored the fight 118-109 in favor of Calzaghe, who improved to 46-0 with 32 knockouts.

US legend Jones saw his three-fight winning streak snapped as he fell to 52-5 with 38 wins inside the distance.

Jones knocked down Calzaghe in the first round with a right hand that left Calzaghe bleeding from the nose.

But Calzaghe rallied to dominate the remaining rounds before a vocal crowd of 14,152 that was packed with British fans.

"I was stunned. He caught me with a good shot," Calzaghe said of the knockdown. "My power is in my recovery. Anyone can fall on the floor. How you recover is what matters. I think it showed my heart, and I came back twice as strong."

Calzaghe, gaining in confidence, finished the third round staring down Jones at the bell.

In the fifth he caught Jones with a right followed by a powerful left that snapped the Amerian's head back.

Calzaghe lived up to the prediction of his father and trainer Enzo Calzaghe that he would get stronger and faster as the fight progressed, and his attack clearly wore Jones down.

In the seventh the relentless Calzaghe opened a bloody cut over Jones's left eye as the 39-year-old American struggled to match his pace.

"I knew I had to make Roy Jones respect my punches. ..I always felt I was a step ahead of Roy," Calzaghe said. "I knew what he was going to do before he did it."

In the 12th Calzaghe hardly needed to throw a punch he had so demonstrated his dominance.

"I felt really relaxed tonight," Calzaghe said. "I like fighting with my hands down. I know it's hard for anybody to fight my style."

Calzaghe's triumph recalled his split decision victory over another aging American great, Bernard Hopkins, in Las Vegas in April. In that fight, too, he survived a first-round knockdown.

"I fought two legends this year in Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones and beat them, and I did it here in the United States," the longtime super middleweight champion said. "I took the risk. They didn't come to me. I came to them. I came to New York City to make it happen. I made it happen tonight. I'm just so happy."

"The pitty-pats were a little harder than I thought," admitted Jones, who won the middleweight world title 15 years ago, the heavyweight crown five years ago and dominated at light heavyweight in between.

"I don't know what's next for me," Jones said. "I'll go back and talk to my team, to my family, and see how I feel. If I feel good, I'll continue to fight."

Calzaghe had hinted before the bout that it would be his last, but said afterward that he was leaving his options open for now.

"I have to sit down with my family, take some time and think about it," Calzaghe said.