With Bernard Hopkins upsetting Antonio Tarver in Atlantic City last Saturday, the dynamics of the light heavyweight division have changed utterly - and IBF champion Clinton Woods is poised to take full advantage.

Hopkins easily outpointed Tarver, whom some considered to be the leader of the 175lbs (12stone 7lbs) division, only to announce his retirement from boxing immediately afterwards, leaving something of a void at the top of the division.

But Sheffield box-puncher Woods believes it will be he who seizes the vacant throne to become the new king of the light heavies.

Woods said: “I said right after winning the world title in 2005 that the next goal was establishing myself as the ultimate fighter in the division - and I will do that this year. By Christmas I will be recognised as the best light heavyweight on the planet.”

Woods added: “Tarver wasn’t the No.1 in the division in my eyes anyway, Glen Johnson was. Tarver and Johnson were one win apiece in their series and it was Tarver who chickened out of a third fight and went to make Rocky movies instead. We all saw how awful Tarver looked Saturday and I think he knew he was shot himself - he was just trying to avoid real fights and cash in while
he could. He miscalculated, thinking Hopkins was shot, but he got it wrong and was badly found out.”

The IBF champion said: “Now the No.1 spot is vacant and I think everyone would agree the winner of me and Johnson is the fight to find out the true top fighter in the division.”

Woods v Johnson III has been mandated by the IBF and could take place as early as August.

Fight Academy’s Dennis Hobson said: “We’ve been negotiating with Warrior’s Boxing, who promote Johnson, and I’ve just sent them our final offer. Hopefully they will accept the deal, in which case we will be in a position to announce the date and venue soon or, if they don’t accept it, we’ll go to purse bids and we‘re very confident we‘d win that.

“We really think Clinton takes Johnson apart this time and proves himself to be the undisputable top light heavyweight in the world. If Clinton does what we are all expecting him to do in his next fight, then he has got some massive nights ahead of him against some enormous names.”

Those names including Hopkins, Roy Jones Junior and even Joe Calzaghe.

Hobson said: “When Clinton beats Johnson, we’ll immediately make Hopkins an offer to see if he is interested in fighting again or, if Roy Jones looks impressive in his fight against Prince Badi Ajamu next month, Clinton would love to get his win back of him, too.”

Hobson confirmed that the sporadic talks with Joe Calzaghe and promoter Frank Warren have continued this week.

He said: “Warren’s matchmaker, Dean Powell, has called up to repeat the £400,000 offer they made a couple of months ago but that’s still a low-ball offer. We have a bigger offer than that already on the table for Clinton to go to Australia to fight Danny Green. Green’s people are offering us a huge pay-day and will even allow us to keep the UK TV rights, which puts Warren’s
offer in perspective.

“But I’d love to do Woods v Calzaghe. If we promoted it we’d pay Calzaghe a minimum of £1million and Clinton very similar to that by putting it on pay-per-view and giving the fighters a percentage.”

Hobson added: “Also, I’d insist on promoting the card so I could be in the loop on what Calzaghe is doing. I respect Joe‘s ability, but he’s earned himself a terrible reputation for pulling out of fights with twisted eyelashes and broken fingernails.

“He’s very talented, but he seems to be one of those fighters who won’t go into the ring unless everything is 110% in his favour. He’s pulled out of FIVE* fights in the last two years and with all sorts of big fights now on Clinton’s radar, I don’t want to sign to fight Calzaghe only for him to do one of his pull-outs at the last minute and waste everyone’s time.”

* In the last 24 months Calzaghe has withdrawn from:

1) July 2006 fight with Johnson, citing hand injury

2) November 2005 fight with Jeff Lacy, hand injury

3) October 2004, withdrew Woods fight, saying he didn’t want to fight at
light heavyweight, Woods had already signed for the fight but Calzaghe
refused

4) July 2004, withdrew from Johnson fight, claiming injury

5) withdrew and postponed Johnson fight, claiming injury