In a recent interview with Setanta Sports, undisputed super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe took aim at Bernard Hopkins, saying the light heavyweight champ has not achieved anything more than him. The two will collide on April 19 in Las Vegas. Calzaghe broke down the record of Hopkins and said he was far from impressed with the champion's resume.
"He hasn’t achieved any more than I’ve achieved in my career,” Calzaghe said. “He held the middleweight championship of the world for ten years and that’s fair enough. But look at the two biggest names he managed to beat, De la Hoya and Trinidad, both of them are welterweights.
"He beat Tarver at light-heavyweight but big deal! Tarver must have lost about four stone after making the Rocky movie! At the end of the day, Hopkins struggled with 'Winky' Wright at light-heavyweight and he’s going to struggle with me. He’s beaten ten southpaws in his time but he’s never met a southpaw like me and I think he’s going to be shocked by what he finds when the first bell goes on April 19."
Calzaghe is planning to retire by the end of 2008. He says the super middleweight division is a thing of the past, but he's willing to move down for one man - WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, who would have to move up in weight to make the fight. If he can't land a fight with Pavlik, other possible fights, at light heavyweight, include Roy Jones Jr. and the winner of the upcoming Clinton Woods-Antonio Tarver showdown.
”I’m probably finished with super-middleweight. I’ll have to wait and see. I’ll have to weigh up my options after this fight,” Calzaghe said. ”I’m still the super-middleweight champion of the world but, realistically, the only fight that I’d consider coming back down for would be against Kelly Pavlik.
”He’s an excellent fighter and he beat Jermain Taylor again earlier this year so that’s the only big fight for me at super-middleweight. I beat the top dog in the division, Mikkel Kessler, quite convincingly so it was time for pastures new. And, after I sort out Bernard Hopkins, you’ve got Roy Jones, the winner of Clinton Woods against Antonio Tarver. Or, as I said, Pavlik. They're the only names that interest me.”
"He hasn’t achieved any more than I’ve achieved in my career,” Calzaghe said. “He held the middleweight championship of the world for ten years and that’s fair enough. But look at the two biggest names he managed to beat, De la Hoya and Trinidad, both of them are welterweights.
"He beat Tarver at light-heavyweight but big deal! Tarver must have lost about four stone after making the Rocky movie! At the end of the day, Hopkins struggled with 'Winky' Wright at light-heavyweight and he’s going to struggle with me. He’s beaten ten southpaws in his time but he’s never met a southpaw like me and I think he’s going to be shocked by what he finds when the first bell goes on April 19."
Calzaghe is planning to retire by the end of 2008. He says the super middleweight division is a thing of the past, but he's willing to move down for one man - WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, who would have to move up in weight to make the fight. If he can't land a fight with Pavlik, other possible fights, at light heavyweight, include Roy Jones Jr. and the winner of the upcoming Clinton Woods-Antonio Tarver showdown.
”I’m probably finished with super-middleweight. I’ll have to wait and see. I’ll have to weigh up my options after this fight,” Calzaghe said. ”I’m still the super-middleweight champion of the world but, realistically, the only fight that I’d consider coming back down for would be against Kelly Pavlik.
”He’s an excellent fighter and he beat Jermain Taylor again earlier this year so that’s the only big fight for me at super-middleweight. I beat the top dog in the division, Mikkel Kessler, quite convincingly so it was time for pastures new. And, after I sort out Bernard Hopkins, you’ve got Roy Jones, the winner of Clinton Woods against Antonio Tarver. Or, as I said, Pavlik. They're the only names that interest me.”