Joe Calzaghe will fight Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas on April 19, his promoters have confirmed.
Thomas & Mack center to host Welshman's big night
Joe Calzaghe will fight Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas on April 19, his promoters have confirmed.
The undefeated Welshman will have his first fight in the United States at the Thomas & Mack Center and his first at light-heavyweight as he takes on the former middleweight king.
Hopkins reigned for a decade at 160lb before losing twice to Jermain Taylor in 2005, although subsequent victories over Antonio Tarver and Ronald Wright have cemented his place in boxing Hall of Fame.
For Calzaghe, the bout represents a chance to finally prove to the Americans of his his status as a global force in the game, despite victories over Jeff Lacy and a unification win against Mikkel Kessler that were billed as 'career-defining' contests.
The 35-year-old former super-middleweight from Newbridge takes a flawless 44-0 record into the ring and hopes victory over Hopkins will earn him at least one more big payday Stateside.
"After the Kessler fight I achieved everything I wanted to in the super middleweight division as undisputed champion," he said.
Big risk
"Roy Jones is not the fighter he was. He's sharp in spells and you can see he was a great fighter. But I'd rather fight a fighter in his prime.
"The rest of my career I want to fight big fights, fights where I have something to gain and not just something to defend.
"Hopkins is the Ring champion so let's go to Vegas with three American judges and an American referee. I'm taking a big risk in going to America in the first place but it's all about challenges. That's what I need."
And Calzaghe revealed his disappointment that Hopkins should attempt to drag the fight into the gutter by claiming he would 'never lose to a white boy'.
"That didn't hack me off. It was embarrassing for himself. He made himself look an idiot," he added.
"I'm not offended because I know what's going to happen. I'm not bothered if it's a black guy, a green guy, a yellow guy or any kind of colour. I'm just not going to lose, full stop.
"It is just a stupid comment from an adult. It doesn't get under my skin at all because when he gets in the ring he's going to get beaten."
