Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
IT ALL ENZ SOURLY FOR BOXING CHAMP
Calzaghe sister contests Joe being executor of dad’s will
BOXING legend and Strictly star Joe Calzaghe could be axed as executor of his beloved dad’s estate after a legal challenge from his sister.
Joe has been cited for replacement in administering Enzo’s £1.5million legacy in High Court papers by Sonia Prosser.
Self-taught boxing trainer Enzo guided his only son to more than 20 world title defences in a stellar, undefeated career.
Outside the ring, dad-of-two Joe found wider fame on Strictly in 2009 and dated pro dance partner Kristina Rihanoff.
When Enzo died aged 69 in 2018, widow Jacqueline was made executor of his estate. The role passed to Joe after she died last year, aged 66.
But court papers show Sonia, 46, has taken out a section 50 claim under the Administration of Justice Act 1985 against Joe and their other sister, Melissa Calzaghe, 45.
Legal sources say that the clause allows claimants to remove an executor and appoint a replacement if there is evidence the estate might not be properly administered. No supporting documents have yet been filed.
The family live in Gwent, South Wales, where Enzo met Jacqueline after leaving Sardinia in the 1960s.
He went on to train his son at the local gym in Newbridge with stunning results. Joe became one of dominant forces in the super-middleweight division for a decade before adding The Ring lightheavyweight title to his trophy cabinet. He won BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2007 and retired in 2009 with a perfect 46-win record, admitting: “If it wasn’t for him [Enzo] I would never have laced up the gloves in the first place. “We stuck together even when people were saying I should get rid of him because he never boxed.” Sonia, who lives in Pontllanfraith, Caerphilly, said: “It’s a private, family matter.”
A woman at Calzaghe’s luxury home said he was unavailable to comment.