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Hopkins invites Calzaghe to USA

05/11/2007

Veteran middleweight king Bernard Hopkins has said he is ready to take on Joe Calzaghe so long as the Welshman crosses the Atlantic to face him.

Calzaghe called out Hopkins after securing a points victory over Mikkel Kessler at the weekend which added the Dane's super-middleweight WBA and WBC belts to his WBO crown.

The 42-year-old American claims he is ready to line up as one of two big fights that Calzaghe wants to sign off his career with in the coming year.

"I would love to entertain his request to fight Bernard Hopkins.I think he understands now and Frank Warren [Calzaghe's promoter] understands that he needs that final stamp of approval from the American boxing writers and the fans," Hopkins told espn.

"He doesn't have that name of that elite opponent from America on his resume. Bernard Hopkins is the guy that Calzaghe and Frank Warren believe they have to defeat to get that stamp of approval over here in America."

Warren has previously promised that Hopkins can name the "date, weight and place" for the fight and Hopkins admits he will exploit home advantage with his native Philadelphia mentioned alongside New York as a possible venue.

"He said he would fight me anywhere. I have no interest in going there. Why do I have to go? He has to bring his butt here to fight the living legend Bernard Hopkins," he said.

"We know he can do well in Britain, but step out of your neighbourhood."