By Mark Vester

WBO super middleweight Joe Calzaghe continues to defend his choice of picking Roy Jones Jr. as the opponent for what may be the final bout of Calzaghe's career on November 8 at New York's Madison Square Garden. Calzaghe claims that he tried to make a fight with WBC/WBO middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik on two occasions and both times Pavlik turned him down. He says that none of Pavlik's comments bother him.

“We actually tried to get Pavlik after the Jeff Lacy fight and he declined,” Calzaghe told Wales Online. “We asked him again after he won the middleweight title and he declined again. So it’s funny how people come knocking on your door when you decide to fight someone else. I think he is just trying to get publicity off the back of me which is something lots of fighters try to do.

“I don’t pay any attention to his comments, I’ve heard it all before and it’s a bit of a joke. As far as Pavlik is concerned, everybody wants a payday, but he will just have to go somewhere else to get his.”

Calzaghe continued to downplay Pavlik by stating that the Youngstown fighter has not earned the right to fight him, and Jones on the other hand is a legend in the sport. 

“I’m 36 years old, coming up to my 11th year as world champion and this guy has just started," Calzaghe said. “You can’t even speak of him as a great fighter yet because to be one you have to consistently be in the big fights. Roy Jones is a legend, that’s the difference. Your’re not fighting a promising champion, you are fighting a legend and that’s what it’s all about.”

Although Calzaghe says that he will retire after the fight with Jones, he doesn't rule out a possible unretirement for the right fight.

“Whether I come back out of retirement, that’s another matter,” Calzaghe said.

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