By Mark Vester
Joe Calzaghe says that he will not fight Bernard Hopkins in a rematch. The undefeated Welsh fight continued to call his November 8 bout with Roy Jones Jr, the final fight of his career. He doesn't plan on fighting beyond the November date. Calzaghe is pleased that Hopkins dominated Kelly Pavlik last Saturday in Atlantic City, because when many reporters called Hopkins a shot fighter when Calzaghe won a close decision over him in April.
"Jones Jr will the last fight for me, definitely - that's it, me done. Screw Hopkins, I'm not fighting again for any amount of money, I've been doing this for too long. Hopkins beating Pavlik in the style he did actually gives my victory over Hopkins more credibility. When I beat Hopkins, people say he was just a washed up old man, a shadow of the fighter of years gone by," Calzaghe told BBC Sport. "But he has just annihilated the so-called next big thing in boxing in a fight he called the fight of his life."
For several months, there were many who were calling for Calzaghe to fight Pavlik, but not that Hopkins beat him, Calzaghe sees no reason for such a fight.
"Hopkins beating Pavlik is great for me because people will stop banging on about me fighting Pavlik. I always thought Pavlik was one dimensional, a very good fighter but not a great. So I can retire with a clear conscience knowing that I've beaten everyone who's worth beating," Calzaghe said.
"I heard heard Hopkins wanted a rematch with me, but I don't do rematches. I've got nothing to prove to anyone. I've proved everything that I needed to prove when I beat Hopkins in Vegas earlier in the year. I'm hungry for Roy Jones Jr but after that my motivation for boxing will be over, because when I knock him out I'll have beaten the only legend I haven't take care of."
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