By Mark Vester

According to a recent interview with The Daily Star , WBO/WBA/WBC super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe (44-0, 32KOs) is planning to get revenge when he finally collides with light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (48-4-1, 32KOs).

Promoter Frank Warren told the paper that he's close to a deal with the fight tentatively scheduled for a Las Vegas venue in April. The fighters agreed on a 50-50 split for the bout, with Calzaghe making a career-high purse.

In the opinion of Calzaghe, the infamous comment of "I will never lose to white boy," made by Hopkins to reporters covering the Mayweather-Hatton event in Las Vegas - will only unite British and American fans on the night of the fight.

“What he said works in my favor. Let him be the villain and I will probably get more Americans supporting me because of what he said. If he wants to make it a race issue then let him, it doesn’t bother me and I just laughed at him," Calzaghe said. “He’s just going to look like a pr*ck now when he gets beaten up by a white boy."

Calzaghe sat ringside on December 8, and watched fellow Brit Ricky Hatton get stopped in ten-rounds by Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand. He now plans to get revenge for British Boxing, setting the stage for a mega grudge match. 

“It will be revenge for British boxing after Ricky lost to Mayweather in Vegas this month. It could be a pretty rough fight. But I showed against Mikkel Kessler that I can box and that’s the way to beat Hopkins. Speed will be the key again,” Calzaghe said.

After everything is said and done with Hopkins, Calzaghe plans to stage one more fight and retire by the end of the year. IBF light heavyweight champion Clinton Woods is a possible option for the final bout of Calzaghe's career.

“I’m giving myself just one more year and two more fights. It’s all about business now. Clinton Woods is an option later next year," Calzaghe said. “I want to retire undefeated. It’s massive for me to keep that  zero as an unbeaten fighter.”

Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingscene@hotmail.com