By Mark Vester
WBC/WBO/WBA super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe (44-0, 32KOs) told the UK Sunday Mirror that he saw fear in the eyes of light heavyweight champ Bernard Hopkins (48-4, 32KOs) when the two fighters were trading insults during the Mayweather-Hatton weigh-in last December.
Calzaghe claims that Hopkins is creating excuses to avoid the two of them coming together for a London press conference to announce their April 19 showdown in Las Vegas. He feels that Hopkins is having second thoughts about facing him and the London fans due to his statement of "I will never lose to a white boy." The two fighters are scheduled for a five-city tour to hype their HBO televised bout.
"We are due to meet face-to-face for a press conference but he has continually put obstacles in the way," said Calzaghe. "I was ready to fly to America but it kept getting put back. He is all mouth - and I could see that in his eyes when he started bragging last year. Hopkins is a good talker and I've seen what can happen if you let the top Americans wind you up - it will not happen with me. He's an old man and I will end his long career."
Hopkins told the paper that Calzaghe is crazy if he thinks that he's avoiding him and the London fans, pointing to his 2001 clash with Felix Trinidad. Hopkins was part of the press conference for the Trinidad fight in Puerto Rico. He grabbed and then threw the Puerto Rican flag to the floor and barely made it out in one-piece while being chased by hostile fans.
"Calzaghe is a nice guy and he's been a good champion but he's crazy if he thinks I'm avoiding him," said Hopkins. "I've been in bigger fights and faced more hostile crowds. I told Calzaghe last year I would fight him anywhere and I mean that. Meeting him face-to-face is child's play to me. What I did in Puerto Rico and what I said to Joe are all part of boxing. If Calzaghe's getting jumpy about what I said to him, he'll lose his mind by the time I'm finished with him."
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