Joe Calzaghe
Joe Calzaghe says Bernard Hopkins will have to “get in line” after the American issued a challenge.
“I agreed a fight with him a couple of years ago then he doubled the demands, now he must wait,” said Calzaghe.
Light heavyweight king Hopkins said after Saturday’s win over Ronald Wright that he wants to face Calzaghe at New York’s Yankee Stadium next spring.
“They talk of me not fighting in the US but not why Hopkins or Roy Jones don’t leave their backyard,” said Calzaghe.
| I want Joe Calzaghe in the Yankee Stadium in the spring Bernard Hopkins |
“Why should I go to America when if we do the fight in the UK we can make far more money in front of a bigger crowd?
“Hopkins and Wright are supposed to be two of the top pound-for-pound fighters yet their fight didn’t even sell out the Mandalay Bay, it drew something like 9,000 people.
“I’m focusing on a real fight against Mikkel Kessler, but once that is done I’m willing to go to the States if that is where the best deal is.
“I will look at Ol’ Popkins, but judging by his performance against Wright there isn’t much competition there for me anyway.”
Calzaghe faces Mikkel Kessler at 168lbs in Cardiff on 3 November.
The eagerly awaited super middleweight unification bout could be in front of a world indoor record crowd of 70,000 at the Millennium Stadium.
The sign of Calzaghe’s burgeoning profile came in Hopkins’ post-fight interview live on US TV.
“I’m back, it was a great performance and I’ll fight anyone out there,” said Hopkins.
“I want Joe Calzaghe in the Yankee Stadium in the spring and I’ll knock him out, he won’t be undefeated any more.”
Promoter Oscar De La Hoya added: “If Bernard wants Calzaghe, then it’s our duty to go make that fight.”
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Welshman Calzaghe, 35, is undefeated in 43 fights and is the world’s longest-reigning world champion, having made 21 defences of the WBO crown over 10 years.
But WBC and WBA champion Kessler promises to be one of his stiffest tests, the 28-year-old Dane undefeated in 39 fights.
The bout will be Calzaghe’s biggest since he took Jeff Lacy’s IBF title in March 2006, and Lacy believes that his conqueror could struggle.
“I’m going to have to lean toward Kessler,” Lacy told the Boxing Talk website.
“He’s more of a puncher, I think Calzaghe is more of a hype-type puncher.
“He needs to put his punches together, and I don’t think he’s going to be able to do that against a taller, lankier opponent like Kessler.”
Calzaghe has said that the bout will be his last at super middleweight, although that could change if big names like Wright or Jermain Taylor could be tempted into a match-up.
