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Joe Calzaghe writes: Im no Stay at home fighter
I feel that this is it and that fight is on in soon:
http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/spo...me_fighter.php
I’m no stay-at-home fighter
By Joe Calzaghe
IT NOW seems almost certain that my next opponent will be Mikkel Kessler, the WBA and WBC super middleweight champion.
The fight is one that excites me tremendously, Kessler has a faultless 39-0 record and I am unbeaten in 43 professional bouts, so something will have to give.
I understand from my promoter Frank Warren that negotiations are at an advanced stage to get the fight on, though when and where the fight will be are two questions I can't answer this week.
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My preference would be to fight in September, but I understand Kessler's camp want the fight for November and if I have to wait, I will.
Looking on the positive side, the longer we wait until the fight, the better my hand will be after I broke it in April - more on this later.
The bigger issue is the venue for the fight.
I have read plenty of speculation on this and would like to set the record straight.
Many times in my career I have been referred to as a stay at home fighter, a champion unwilling to be the guy being booed in someone else's backyard.
This is complete and utter nonsense.
In the past I have beaten Richie Woodhall and Mario Veit in their hometowns with the crowd desperate to see me lose and it didn't bother me a jot.
If the fight is made for Cardiff at the Millennium Stadium, then of course that is great for me.
I would imagine even more people will attend than the 35,000 who saw me batter Peter Manfredo, this is a super fight on a grand scale and having partisan support would be one of the highlights of my career.
However, if I get a call from Frank Warren in the next couple of days telling me we are going to Denmark, I will tell him I am more than ready.
A lot of boxing is politics and money is a huge factor, I am not going to pretend it isn't.
If the money is right for me to go to Copenhagen or wherever else, I will happily do it.
Fighting in Cardiff with a home support would be a huge bonus, but equally I will feed off the boos and jeers if I go to Denmark.
Once you get in the ring it is just you and the guy you are fighting, nothing else matters.
This is a fight I am desperate for, it will be one of the biggest of the year, it is so rare two undefeated world champions face one another.
I really hoped to fight American Jermain Taylor a while ago, but when he started saying he wanted $10 million despite not impressing in his previous two fights, I knew he didn't want to face me.
Talk of that fight died a death despite Frank Warren and I going to America to try and get it on.
It's a shame, but I feel the fight with Kessler will be a better spectacle anyway as Taylor is a negative kind of fighter, albeit with a great record and reputation.
Good news is that my hand - broken on Peter Manfredo's head - has healed nicely and I am almost at 100%.
I am back in training as I don't enjoy sitting on my backside for too long and I have been able to do some light sparring with Enzo Maccarinelli.
The injury could've been a lot more serious and I am pleased it is no longer any sort of concern.
It allows me to focus fully on my next fight.
Tonight is a pretty amazing evening for me as I am being inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame at a special presentation dinner.
Usually people don't get inducted until well after their career is done - sometimes not until they are six feet under - so I feel truly honoured to be inducted.
Finally I just want to wish good luck to my big mate Ricky Hatton, who fights Jose Luis Castillo for his IBO light welterweight title in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
It has been a while since I made a prediction in this column so I will today, I see Hatton winning pretty comfortably on points.
Castillo has a good record and deserves respect; no one will ever forget his two wars with the late, great Diego Corrales.
However, Castillo has had trouble making the weight recently and looked well shot against Herman Ngoudjo last time out, only winning by split decision.
He could rediscover his best form and cause Ricky problems, but I can't see it. For my money Hatton is younger, fitter, fresher and better than Castillo and I see him winning pretty comfortably over the 12 rounds, maybe even by way of stoppage before that.
I will certainly be watching.
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Originally Posted by Kel
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