Joe Calzaghe

I've been through the routine so many times that I genuinely don't even think about a big fight very much beforehand.

I've never wanted fame. I've only ever wanted recognition.

After a weigh-in, you drink and put on the pounds. But it's just fluid, not muscle, so you get in the ring and feel flat.

I'm pretty excited: to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is a massive achievement... and to be inducted with Oscar de la Hoya and Felix Trinidad, two great fighters, is a massive honour for me and my family.

Being retired is one thing, but staying retired is another. Even when I announced my retirement, I'm sure people thought I was going to come back.

I'm not going to lie: you do get down sometimes, but I wouldn't say I was ever depressed; that's too hard a word. But you do become bored, because all you've done in your life is fight and box.

I think we have a normal father-and-son relationship. But like any other relationship, we have our differences. But we always seem to work out our differences. Believe it or not, our personalities are similar. We're both fiery and passionate.

From 13 years old, I was treated like a professional.

I'm actually thinking about acting lessons. If somebody says to me, 'You can be in the movies,' I'd be pretty happy.

If I'm greedy and keep chasing the money, it's inevitable I will be beaten one day.

The perfect fighter has never been born and never will be.

I swore to myself that I was never going to lose again, and that's what drives me still. More than money, more than titles, more than fame, it's the desire not to be defeated.

My dad is a great judge of fights. He's the only person I know who said that Holyfield would beat Tyson the first time.

It used to hurt me when people said I was hiding in Wales.

My career has been very difficult. People respect the fact that I haven't just turned professional like Amir Khan or Audley Harrison, and it's been, 'Here's a million pound' - for spoilt brats to fight a couple of fights.

I've beaten all contenders for 11 years. I'm not a robot; I'm fed up. My body's tired of it. I'm 36.

I believe amateur boxing training should be available in schools. Not for all, but for those who want to.

Boxing definitely has a part to play in taking away unwanted aggression.

I'm proud to be one of only a few fighters in history to retire undefeated.

You can never say never in this game, but I can't see myself boxing again. There's loads of things I want to do.

I agreed to be on 'Strictly Come Dancing' without watching the show. I got talked into it by my manager. And my God, I was crap at it.

I prayed before fights. Especially just before I got in to the ring. But I'd also have my iPod on, Prodigy and Linkin Park ripping through my ears.

I cried watching 'Million Dollar Baby.' I'm a big baby, man.

There's no point looking good and losing. Winning is what it's all about, and you can't always look spectacular while doing it.

I'm a Juventus fan, although I did support Chelsea for some time - mainly because of Gianfranco Zola. Zola is from the same town as my father Enzo, in Sardinia.

To win the four major title belts, to be the unbeaten champion and 10 years a champion - it's amazing. I'm so proud.

It's unbelievable when I think back to when I was a kid that one day I would have achieved so much through boxing, and to think my teachers laughed at me when I said I was going to be a boxer.

You ask all the super-middleweights: Who is the best fighter in Britain? If I came back, it would be me.

I want to prove that I'm not just the best super middleweight in the world but the best pound-for-pound.

There were times people tried to get me to change trainers, but I stuck with my dad.

I don't really watch much boxing.

I find it quite sad to see the likes of Evander Holyfield carrying on past their sell-by date.

There comes a time in any proud sportsman's career when you have to make the difficult decision to stop.

There'll never be another Muhammad Ali. He was a superstar. And although he has gone, his legacy will live on for what he has done for sport and humanity.

There is a world of difference between being a reality TV star and a world champion boxer.

I definitely was a big puncher early on in my career, and I used to load up with my left hand. Then, towards the end of my career, I had hand problems and needed injections in my hands for the pain.

Beating Chris Eubank in 1997 was a great win and the toughest fight of my life, and beating Jeff Lacy was great, too. But Mikkel Kessler topped it, winning all the belts and fighting in front of all those fans in my home town.

It's in my DNA to fight and entertain.

When I was about 12, I realised I wasn't going to make it as a top footballer, but I won my first British ABA title at 13. From then on, I wanted to be a world champion.

When I go into the ring, I don't hate opponents, and I certainly don't want to hurt them.

On a personal level, I probably wouldn't want my boys to box professionally. But I do encourage them to get into boxing training - they both go along. It keeps them fit.

I am not an aggressive person. I am a disciplined, chilled, and relaxed guy.

Amateur boxing is one of the safest sports around.

I've fought in Copenhagen before, and it's not the most hostile place in the world.

When you've been at the top of the sport for so many years, it's your life, and it becomes very difficult just to quit boxing and find something else to be happy.

I don't seek the limelight. I'm perfectly happy with a quiet life and spending time with my family, but I deserve recognition.

Roy Jones is a difficult fight.

The world title in a second weight division and a win in America is just the icing on the cake of my career.

It would be good to fight Roy Jones. I've always admired him, and I think this would be a great fight for the fans.

In America, they slag each other off at the press conference, then get in the ring and don't do anything.