By Simon Jackson

The announcement last week that the 2007 F.A. Cup final was to return to Wembley after an absence of six years may momentarily have left a void in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium's sporting calendar but local hero Joe Calzaghe has quickly helped to plug any gap.

Calzaghe, 42-0 (31), makes a dream appearance at his local stadium when he meets Peter Manfredo Jnr, 26-3 (12), in the twentieth defence of his WBO Super Middleweight title on 7 April.

Calzaghe, 35, remains unbeaten in a professional career spanning over 13 years and the Welsh resident will achieve yet another goal in his illustrious career when he meets Manfredo, 26, in just three days.

"My fans are great supporters," Calzaghe said. "They're ready to go and be in the atmosphere," secondsout.com report. "I've been to, obviously, not boxing but football and rugby games there and I've always had the dream, as it's only three minutes from where I live. "I've always thought to myself, I'd love to fight here one day and thankfully, thanks to Frank (Warren) and everybody, we are able to put the fight on at the Millennium, so that in itself is fantastic."

Manfredo, winner of his first 21 bouts and former WBO NABO Light Middleweight title holder, must be admired for stepping into Joe "The Pride of Wales" Calzaghe's backyard and feels the fight should take place nowhere else.

"Joe Calzaghe is the best," Manfredo said. "He deserves to have the fight here in his hometown. As soon as (promoter) Jeff Wald mentioned the fight to me, I said, "no problem." It's an opportunity of a lifetime."

And a huge attendance is anticipated to witness Calzaghe defend the title he won in his clash with Chris Eubank in October 1997: "The show that is taking place on April 7 is the highest attended indoor event to take place in the United Kingdom," promoter Frank Warren said.

"We've sold over 30,000 tickets and we're expecting a crowd of at least, 35,000. Both fighters have great selling power, Joe Calzaghe and also the selling power of The Contender series and Peter Manfredo. The British public has really taken to it and it will be a fantastic atmosphere."

Courtesy www.frankmaloney.com

Click to read more boxing articles by Boxing Press

Discuss in Boxing Forum

---

Related Boxing Articles...

• Calzaghe Returns, But Against Who?

  

  The ongoing saga of WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe continues in 2005, but with more mystery than usual. >
  
  

• Calzaghe Making Waves Over Lacy fight.

  Doubt has overshadowed the possibility of Joe Calzaghe's WBO/IBF super middleweight unification showdown with American Jeff Lacy four months before the proposed bout is to even take place. Calzaghe is >
  
  

• Calzaghe-Lacy Unification Bout Moved to London.

  Nothing is concrete yet with Joe Calzaghe having to win his next title defense against unknwon super middleweight Evans Ashira, but if he does win, Calzaghe will likely have to >
  
  

• Still no Opponent for Calzaghe.

  Longtime WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe will return to action this September, though who against is not yet known at this time. After having a title fight with Brian >
  
  

• Calzaghe Pulled From Magee Bout.

  I have just received word from Ireland that Joe Calzaghe has been pulled out of his scheduled fight with Brian Magee that was set to take place at the King's >
  
  

• Calzaghe Still Seeking Opponent.

  

  Any super middleweights in the world feel like trying to shock the boxing world by becoming the WBO super middleweight champion? All you need >
  
  

• Calzaghe Defeats Veit…..Again.

  It took a little longer than their first meeting, but the result remained exactly the same. Welsh WBO super middleweight champion of the world Joe Calzaghe took his power to >
  
  

• Calzaghe Waits For Opponent.

  WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe is preparing to make the sixteenth defense of his title in front of the fans at the MEN arena in Manchester, England on the >
  
  

• Calzaghe Injured, Off Boxing Homecoming In Cardiff!

  WBO/IBF Super Middleweight Champion Joe Calzaghe has reported re-injured his troubled left hand during training sessions and has had to pull out of his planned triumphant homecoming set for July >
  
  

• Hennessy Boxing: Froch Rubbishes Calzaghe’s Las Vegas Victory

  Carl Froch says he will produce a better performance than Joe Calzaghe did at the weekend in his WBC Super Middleweight Title Final Eliminator against Denis Inkin of Russia at >
  
  

---