Boxing: Calzaghe keeps his head to win bruising battle

They say in boxing that you are only as good as your last fight and Joe Calzaghe discovered the brutal truth of the old adage when he returned to Manchester's MEN Arena, scene of his sweetest triumph seven months ago. The Welshman retained his world super-middleweight titles but found himself embroiled in a messy brawl with a warrior, African-born Sakio Bika, before winning unanimously on points.

However, it was some distance from his exhilarating display against Jeff Lacy in March. Calzaghe was neither as sharp nor as stylish, suffering a cut left eyebrow - the first of his career - at the end of the fourth round following a clash of heads and showing only occasional flashes of the mesmerising skills which had elevated him to superstar status when he humbled Lacy.

"No, it wasn't as great a performance as last time," he admitted. "I wasn't 100 per cent because I'd had a bit of hand trouble in July and lacked sparring, and it showed. I wasn't sharp and I know I was far too hasty early on, trying to knock him out. But next time I'll be back to my best." He will need to keep that promise if he is to continue to captivate audiences both here and in the US and go on to surpass the Joe Louis record of 25 title defences.

Bika, who settled in Sydney after boxing for Cameroon in the 2000 Olympics, has the nom de guerre of the Scorpion yet the sting is not in his tail but in his head. Not for the first time in a title fight it did damage to a reigning champion and the referee Micky Vann had prophetically warned before the bell: "I want no naughties with the head."

But Bika was indeed rather naughty, opening the eye wound in the fourth and then having a point deducted a round later for deliberately butting again. His uncompromising tactics made Calzaghe appear ragged at times but at least the Welshman collected his 42nd successive victory and 19th world title defence in his record nine-year reign, retaining his long-standing WBO and freshly acquired IBF belts.

Calzaghe began with a confidence that bordered on cockiness, his showboating approach in remarkable contrast to the controlled use of the jab and foot movement he had shown in destroying Lacy. It was a frustrating night for him, culminating in being the recipient of a painful low blow in the last round before two ringside judges made him the winner by seven rounds and the third by five.

It had been a week in which Calzaghe had been celebrated as the recipient of the Ring magazine belt and received ringing praise from some of boxing's Caesars, including Sugar Ray Leonard and Nigel Benn. Barry McGuigan even suggested he might be the best British boxer we have ever seen - although on last night's evidence I think he'd have to fight for that title with John Conteh, Ken Buchanan and maybe even McGuigan himself.

But at least the victory firmly establishes him as the theatre of blood's leading man. And the promoter Frank Warren, who showed his ringside anger at Calzaghe's hit-and-miss tactics, says he is being lined up for a mega fight early next year.

But on the brighter side, Calzaghe has kept his enduring record intact and has been voted the sexiest man in Wales, some consolation in itself if the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award again eludes him.

Calzaghe is not the only world champion in the village. His Newbridge training partner Enzo Maccarinelli, 26, another Welsh--Italian stallion, knocked out Huddersfield's Mark Hobson with a stunning right hand after 71 seconds to confirm his status as WBO cruiserweight champion in succession to Johnny Nelson.