Calzaghe sets sights on US

JOE CALZAGHE designated 2004 as the year he intends to earn global recognition for his boxing talents after retaining his WBO super-middleweight title for the 14th time with his seventh-round stoppage of Armenian challenger Mger Mkrtchian at Cardiff’s International Ice Rink on Saturday.

Calzaghe, who has been supreme for six years since outpointing Chris Eubank to win the vacant belt in Sheffield, knows that at nearly 32 he must make his move now.

The fighter, described by promoter Frank Warren as "possibly the best I have worked with," is eyeing the States and a move up to light-heavyweight to secure what he believes is his rightful place in the annals of his sport.

After having just one fight last year, when he climbed off the floor for the first time in his career to stop highly-rated American Byron Mitchell in a two-round thriller, Calzaghe says: "I want to fight four times this year, definitely at least three.

"May or June, definitely a light-heavyweight title, a summer show and then I want to fight in the States.

"I want to fight the best they have and show myself and everyone else that I can do it and I'm confident in my ability.

His dream fights would be against Roy Jones Jnr or Antonio Tarver, who recently dropped a hugely controversial decision when he challenged Jones, but the next step could be back in Wales with a challenge to Jamaican-born Glencoffe Johnson, who recently became IBF champion when he outpointed Clinton Woods in Sheffield to take the vacant title.