Fans inspire Calzaghe

JOE CALZAGHE has 35,000 incentives to turn in the most devastating performance of his career tomorrow night as he finally begins to reap the rewards his talent deserves.

That is the size of the crowd expected at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff to watch the 35-year-old Welshman defend his WBO super-middleweight title for the 20th time against Peter Manfredo.

Like Larry Holmes and Bernard Hopkins – whose mark for consecutive defences he hopes to equal – Calzaghe has discovered the plaudits belatedly reaching him towards the twilight of his career.