Kessler Calzaghe, late fight to fit HBO

from:http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0700sports/1200sportsroundup/tm_headline=boxing-late-show-blow-for-joe&method=full&objectid=19795787&siteid=50082-name_page.html#story_continue Boxing: Late show blow for JoeSep 16 2007 by Peter Shuttleworth, Wales On Sunday JOE Calzaghe’s bid to break the all-time indoor boxing attendance record was dealt a blow last night. Calzaghe’s super-middleweight super fight with Mikkel Kessler at The Millennium Stadium has been confirmed as a midnight show as US TV giants HBO have demanded the November 3 unification showdown start at 1am. Welsh hero Calzaghe was hoping to top the 63,500 crowd that cheered Muhammad Ali to his third heavyweight title against Leon Spinks inside the New Orleans Superdome in September 1978. But the American broadcasters call the tune and HBO want the Cardiff clash to be screened live on primetime in the States. Promoter Frank Warren confirmed last week that 30,000 tickets have already been sold for the fight Calzaghe insists will be ‘by far the toughest of his career.’ But news that WBO king Calzaghe will now fight at 1am rather than 10pm might put off fight fans who have yet to buy tickets – ranging between £40 and £500 – for the show. And Calzaghe, who attracted 35,000 to his last Millennium Stadium show against Contender star Peter Manfredo Jnr, admitted: “I’d prefer to fight at 10pm obviously so more people can see the show, as there’ll be fireworks between me and Kessler. “I’ll also have to adapt my training and sleep patterns two weeks before the fight which is not ideal. But I must ensure that I’m at my peak for 1am. “I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again because business is business.” Calzaghe, boxing’s longest-reigning world champion since he defeated Chris Eubank in October 1997, saved his best performance for the early hours as he demolished American Jeff Lacy on points in one of the most one-sided mega-fights for a generation during a memorable night in Manchester last year. It’s a further blow for boxing lovers desperate to watch the ‘fight of the year’ as Calzaghe’s shows are no longer on terrestrial TV here in the UK. Satellite station Setanta Sports, who’ve just 200,000 subscribers in Britain, now own exclusive rights to Calzaghe v Kessler – his previous broadcaster, ITV, did not bid.