Jermain Taylor offered big money to fight Joe Calzaghe

Promoter Frank Warren has offered middleweight champion JERMAIN TAYLOR the chance to do what 20 other men couldn't -- dethrone boxing's current longest-reigning world champion JOE CALZAGHE in a battle of undefeated world champions Warren has offered Taylor four million dollars to come to the UK in July to challenge Calzaghe for Calzaghe's super middleweight title and has agreed to having the WBO assign an American to referee the fight. Inasmuch as the fight would be at 168 pounds, Taylor's title would not be at stake. "Saturday's crowd in Cardiff for Joe's title defense against Peter Manfredo exceeded 35,000 -- a European indoor record. The only way to surpass that is for Joe to fight the best man out there and that man is Jermain Taylor," said Warren "I know Jermain wants to fight only the biggest fights and make the most money, just like Joe, and to do that we need to hold the fight over here where we can build on the record attendance Joe established last weekend. We will even provide a bit of home cooking to go along with the four million dollar purse and agree to have an American assigned to referee the fight." Calzaghe (43-0, 32 KOs), from Newbridge, Wales, successfully defended the super middleweight title he has held since 1997 for a landmark 20th consecutive time when he stopped Peter Manfredo, Jr. at 1:30 of the third round last Saturday, the most of any British champion and tied for fourth on boxing's all-time list with Larry Holmes and Bernard Hopkins.