Date: 13th February 1999
Venue: Telewest Arena, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear
Title: WBO World Super-middleweight Title
Promoter: Queensberry Promotions
Referee: Roy Francis
Tv: Sky Sports Box Office
Joe Calzaghe
(
25
-
0
-
0
)
Weight: 167½ lbs
Robin Reid
(
26
-
1
-
1
)
Weight: 167¾ lbs
On February 13, 1999, Joe Calzaghe stepped into the Telewest Arena in Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, to defend his WBO World Super-middleweight Title against former WBC Titleist Robin Reid. This bout marked Calzaghe's third title defence since winning the vacant title against Chris Eubank fourteen months prior. The event was promoted by Queensberry Promotions and broadcast on Sky Sports Box Office. Calzaghe entered the fight with an undefeated record of 25-0-0, weighing in at 167½ lbs, while Reid, still regarded as one of the top operators at Super-middleweight, had a record of 26-1-1 and weighed slightly more at 167¾ lbs.
The fight was highly competitive, with neither fighter able to assert clear dominance at any stage. Reid's strategy involved landing heavy, impactful right hands, albeit sporadically, which caught the attention of the crowd and judges alike. However, Calzaghe's approach focused on volume and precision, landing a significantly higher number of on-target shots throughout the bout. This difference in strategy led to a split decision, as two of the three judges favoured Calzaghe's consistent output over Reid's powerful but less frequent strikes. The judges' scores reflected this closely contested nature: Robert Byrd and John Duggan scored the fight 116-111 in favour of Calzaghe, while Paul Thomas scored it 111-116 for Reid.
For many, Reid was unfortunate not to regain a version of the Super-middleweight pie, and for others, Calzaghe just did enough to keep his unbeaten record intact. However, this fight showed that both men belonged at the highest level of the 168lb division.