Calzaghe blitzes German rival

Joe Calzaghe demolished Mario Veit in just 112 seconds in Cardiff to enhance his credentials as the best super-middleweight fighter in the world.  

Calzaghe hammered Veit to the canvas in the opening minute with a booming left hook and followed up with a merciless assault which sent his opponent crashing down for the second time.

The German, like Calzaghe entering the bout with an unbeaten record from his 30 fights, clambered to his feet but the focused Welshman continued to bang home bombs and referee Mark Nelson had no option but to wave the contest off.

Calzaghe had started a heavy favourite against Veit, who had compiled his record out of the world class which Calzaghe has inhabited since wresting the title from Chris Eubank in 1997.

But few could have predicted the sensational nature of his win which, following so soon after the demise of both Lennox Lewis and Naseem Hamed, has now established him as the leading British boxer of the moment.

The savage manner of the Newbridge fighter's victory proved without a doubt that his problems with injury are now a thing of the past and will surely impress even the most cynical observers across the Atlantic, who will watch the fight via tape delay on the Showtime television network.

Calzaghe's promoter Frank Warren had called on his man to make the most of his big chance and had promised him a long-awaited debut in America this summer if he disposed of the former chef from Cottbus.

Warren could not have asked for more - his only worry will be that the power and precision of Calzaghe will put off a few of those men who are lined up for future lucrative unification matches.

Veit had talked a good fight in the build-up, promising to make the most of his four-inch height advantage, but looked nervous as he waited for the champion to enter the ring and refused to lock eyes during the pre-fight ritual.

His plans to box neatly behind a flicking jab were exposed as Calzaghe charged across the ring to meet him on the sound of the opening bell and immediately rammed straight through his guard.

He hammered rights to the body to drop Veit's guard before following up brilliantly for one of the best wins of his career in his eighth defence.

Calzaghe's stablemate Bradley Pryce had earlier been a shade fortunate to retain his unbeaten record with a hard-fought points win over Londoner Jason Hall.

Pryce, who picked up the lightly regarded WBO intercontinental lightweight title for his troubles, won a unanimous verdict 116-113, 115-113, 114-113.

Pryce was close to exhaustion and wobbled in the closing stages of the all-action contest but his impressive final two rounds, during which he opened a deep cut around Hall's left eye, were enough to clinch him the title.