FRANK MALLEY

Joe Calzaghe turned up the heat ahead of his impending fight with Bernard Hopkins when he described his American opponent as "an idiot" for making a racial slur recently.

Hopkins was reported as saying: "I'll never let a white boy beat me. Never."

Calzaghe, whose Ring Magazine world light-heavyweight fight with Hopkins will be on April 19 in Las Vegas, dismissed the racist element of Hopkins' comments.

Calzaghe said: "That didn't hack me off. It was embarrassing for him. He made himself look an idiot.

"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, full stop."

It was typical no-nonsense talk from Calzaghe, who is surfing a wave of euphoria following a brilliant year in 2007 in which he picked up £3m for beating Mikkel Kessler and went on to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

At 35 and undefeated in more than 14 years as a professional, Calzaghe will be moving up a weight to take on 43-year-old Hopkins.

A £5m career-best pay day is the prize, but it is the lure of America which has finally seduced Calzaghe, who has been criticised in some quarters for being reluctant to fight outside Britain.

The experience of sitting ringside while watching his pal Ricky Hatton take on Floyd Mayweather last month was also a big factor in taking a fight against a man who has been in the ring with Roy Jones Jr and Jermain Taylor and knocked out Oscar de la Hoya.

"Going to watch the Ricky Hatton fight and seeing the tremendous support with the British fans really told me I had to get a fight in the States before I retire," said the Welshman.

Calzaghe is adamant that 2008 will be his last in the fight game. He is determined to retire undefeated after two more bouts, but dismisses the likelihood of a super-fight with 39-year-old Roy Jones Jr.

He said: "After the Kessler fight I achieved everything I wanted to in the super-middleweight division as undisputed champion. Roy Jones is not the fighter he was. I'd rather fight a fighter in his prime.

"Hopkins is the Ring champion, so let's go to Vegas. It's all about challenges. That's what I need."

Promoter Frank Warren said it was a fight which he had tried to make for four or five years and had been brought about by Calzaghe's increased profile.

Warren said: "Bernard Hopkins needs Joe Calzaghe, whereas a few years ago it was the other way around. But it's crucial that Hopkins comes to fight. We don't want him running."

Calzaghe added: "Very few fighters retire undefeated. I want to be one of the very few, like Rocky Marciano, who can be world champion and retire undefeated at the right time. Hopefully I'll stick by that and go down in history. Money's great, but staying undefeated is more important to me."