![\"Wayne](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0_Football-Champions-League-FC-Internazionale-vs-FC-Barcelona.jpg\")
Wayne Rooney had a playful scuffle with Joe Calzaghe(Image: Mondadori Portfolio, Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)<\/p>\nWayne Rooney has been reminiscing about some of his fondest memories as he celebrates his 40th birthday, including the time he challenged a boxing legend to a fight on the day of a friend’s wedding<\/p>\n
Aaron Morris Senior Sports Reporter<\/p>\n
15:03, 24 Oct 2025<\/p>\n
Wayne Rooney had a playful scuffle with Joe Calzaghe(Image: Mondadori Portfolio, Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Wayne Rooney found himself in a lighthearted scuffle with Joe Calzaghe at Paul Stretford’s wedding.<\/p>\n
As the Old Trafford<\/a> hero marks his 40th birthday<\/a>, he joined Stretford<\/a>, Tony Bellew and the BBC<\/a> on the Wayne Rooney Show<\/a> to share some of his most cherished recollections.<\/p>\n Following discussions about his stint under David Moyes<\/a> at Everton<\/a> and his initial encounter with boxing<\/a> great Bellew, the chat quickly shifted to a memorable exchange Rooney once had with another celebrated fighter.<\/p>\n Stretford fondly remembered his big day, explaining: “So I was looking after Joe at the time. So Joe came to the wedding, Wayne’s there of course.<\/p>\n “And we’ve had a few drinks and he offers Joe Calzaghe out. I’m stood there talking to them both and he goes, ‘Alright Joe.’ ‘Alright Wayne?’ ‘Could have you.’<\/p>\n “I’m looking and I’m thinking, ‘You’re joking me.’ He’s going, ‘No, just calm down… I just want to do a bit of shadow boxing with him.’ So we go out and we go onto the green outside where we were – middle of my wedding.<\/p>\n “So we go out and Joe’s going, ‘Don’t worry, it’s nothing.’ So he goes out, first thing, so Joe’s just sort of stood there. He’s [Wayne’s] in – to the ribs.”<\/p>\n With a laugh and a touch of irony, Rooney then said: “I seen him, he was a bit vulnerable, he’d had a few drinks. Might give him his first defeat,” referring to Calzaghe’s remarkable unblemished boxing record, which stretched from 1993 to 2008.<\/p>\n When Stretford expressed shared concerns that Calzaghe might retaliate, Bellew responded: “As a fighter, they never react to stuff like that. But he’s only just challenged the greatest fighter Britain’s ever produced. Fantastic.”<\/p>\n Stretford then added: “But that’s Wayne, eh?” Bellew then said: “It is. He’s lively and yeah, he’s even more lively if he’s had a pint – as most men are, to be honest, to be fair.<\/p>\n “We’re all the same, we’re all children who have never really grown up. And Wazza’s one of the biggest children I’ve ever met.”<\/p>\n Despite facing off against boxing greats such as Roy Jones Jr, Chris Eubank and Byron Mitchell during his illustrious career, Calzaghe hung up his gloves in 2009<\/a> with an unbeaten record of 46-0, including 32 knockouts.<\/p>\n He will also go down in history as the longest-reigning super-middleweight champion, with 21 successful defences of his title over nine years.<\/p>\n He clinched The Ring’s light-heavyweight title following a split-decision victory over Bernard Hopkins in 2008, defending it later that year against Jones Jr.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Rooney has clarified that he has no plans to step into the boxing ring for a professional bout anytime soon, as per the Mirror<\/a>.<\/p>\n When asked if he’s ever been tempted, he replied: “No, you get asked to go and do Misfits and all that. You look at Jake Paul<\/a> and what he’s done, he’s a good boxer. KSI does well and whatever, but no. It’s a bit of fun and mess around.”<\/p>\n Man United knock up to 60% off kits and merch<\/p>\n This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more<\/a> Various<\/p>\n Fanatics<\/p>\n![\"Joe](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2_Joe-Calzaghe-and-Robin-Reid.jpg\")
Joe Calzaghe will go down as one of the greatest boxers in history(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Wayne](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1_jokes.jpg\")
Wayne Rooney spoke about the incident(Image: The Wayne Rooney Show \/ YouTube)<\/p>\n![\"Content](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0_Untitled-11jpeg.jpg\")
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