Calzaghe vows to go out with a bang

JOE CALZAGHE has vowed to honour his retirement pledge and bow out unbeaten on Saturday night after defeating Roy Jones Jnr at Madison Square Garden.

The 36-year-old has not been defeated in 45 fights, having dominated the super middleweight division for a decade between 1997 and 2007.

Calzaghe then moved up to light heavyweight and edged a split decision over Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas in April and is now in New York preparing for his swansong against 39-year-old Jones, an eight-time champion in four different weight classes from middleweight to heavyweight.

“I have come a long way but my journey’s not complete,” Calzaghe said before a gym workout in Manhattan.

“On Saturday it will be complete. I’ll be at my final hurdle and I’m just as hungry for this as every other fight.”

Calzaghe said he felt he would be bowing out having achieved all he can in the fight game.

“I’ve been boxing 25 years, I’m 37 in March and I don’t want to start looking like a fighter. I only like to come out and fight the big names and we’re running out of big names.

“I beat everybody for the last 11 years in the super middleweight division — Jeff Lacy, Mikkel Kessler, they’re probably the best super middleweights in the world now, remarkably. Bernard Hopkins, everybody said he was an old man but he showed what a great fighter he still is when he beat Kelly Pavlik, and now Roy Jones.”

Calzaghe said Jones, with a 52-4 record (38 knockouts) and on the comeback trail after losing to Antonio Tarver in 2005, was still a dangerous opponent, as highlighted by his unanimous decision over Felix Trinidad at Madison Square Garden last January.

“Make no mistakes about it, he’s a legend and this is like redemption for him,” added the Welshman.

“To win this fight puts him back at the top and so he’s going to be very hungry for this fight and so I’ve got to make sure I’m in my best shape.”

Calzaghe is also relishing the chance to not just fight at Madison Square Garden but headline there.

“I’ve done the Vegas thing so when the option came up for this I said ‘I want to fight at the Garden’,” he said.

“This is where all the great fighters have fought, there’s so much history surrounding it. I’ve fought in front of bigger crowds at the Millennium Stadium but I’m sure it will be a tremendous crowd and I’ve heard so much about the atmosphere.

“I’m sure I’m going to feel a tremendous pride walking into the Garden and topping the bill and fighting someone like Roy Jones.

“After years and years of struggling and fighting since 1992, I’m coming here finally and doing what I’ve always wanted to do, fighting the biggest names in the biggest venues. That’s what it’s all about.”