Bernard Hopkins has taunted Joe Calzaghe by claiming he would beat the super-middleweight king "easily".
The American great, who turns 43 in January, reiterated that for a super-fight between the pair to go ahead, Calzaghe would have to come to the United States.
"Calzaghe is cute, but he ain't going to be cute after this facelift," Hopkins told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"If he steps out of his back yard, he will be handed his first defeat. I will beat Joe Calzaghe easily."
He added: "If you don't want your countryman to get his ass whupped, then don't let him come over here.
"I love to fight southpaws. I've had 11 wins and no defeats with eight knockouts against southpaws.
"When I fight Joe Calzaghe, I'm fighting a champion. When Joe Calzaghe fights Bernard Hopkins, he's fighting a legend.
"If Calzaghe and Frank Warren are serious, they can cross the Red Sea and come over to the United States, because we're the best in everything we do.
"Joe Calzaghe never fought outside the UK [he has, twice], he never fought in America. I've fought in Paris, I fought in Quito, Ecuador.
"Let's see how he fights when he hasn't got 40,000-50,000 of his own fans behind him.
"To me, a great champion can go anywhere in the world, out of his comfort zone and still deliver.
"I'm not convinced, America is not convinced. Let him leave his home town and try to invade the United States and beat Bernard Hopkins, a great champion, a legend."
Hopkins once dominated the middleweight division but now plies his trade at light-heavyweight, the division in which a prospective fight is likely to take place.
The Philadelphian boasts a career record of 48 wins, four losses and a draw.
Calzaghe immediately challenged Hopkins after his recent victory over Mikkel Kessler in Cardiff but the American is a notoriously tough negotiator.
He denied ducking the fight, saying: "I've never ducked anyone. Bernard Hopkins has beaten people that nobody else wanted to fight - Winky Wright, Antonio Tarver.
"I knocked out Felix Trinidad easily, Oscar de la Hoya with a body shot, I had world title 20 defences.
"If it happens it happens, if it doesn't it doesn't. He mentioned my name after the fight, I didn't mention his.
"I was sat at home in my rocking chair, sipping a cup of tea, with my teeth in a glass, minding my own business.
"I'd get more attention and more out of it if I waited to fight the winner of Roy Jones-Felix Trinidad."
Hopkins also revealed he would be willing to fight Britain's new cruiserweight world champion David Haye but only if he steps up to heavyweight - a move the Londoner is planning.
"The cruiserweight division is nothing but a stopover for the heavyweight division," Hopkins said.
"If David Haye moves up and wins a heavyweight title, that would be a fight that would get me really aroused, but I'm not getting aroused about fighting for a cruiserweight championship."
The American great, who turns 43 in January, reiterated that for a super-fight between the pair to go ahead, Calzaghe would have to come to the United States.
"Calzaghe is cute, but he ain't going to be cute after this facelift," Hopkins told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"If he steps out of his back yard, he will be handed his first defeat. I will beat Joe Calzaghe easily."
He added: "If you don't want your countryman to get his ass whupped, then don't let him come over here.
"I love to fight southpaws. I've had 11 wins and no defeats with eight knockouts against southpaws.
"When I fight Joe Calzaghe, I'm fighting a champion. When Joe Calzaghe fights Bernard Hopkins, he's fighting a legend.
"If Calzaghe and Frank Warren are serious, they can cross the Red Sea and come over to the United States, because we're the best in everything we do.
"Joe Calzaghe never fought outside the UK [he has, twice], he never fought in America. I've fought in Paris, I fought in Quito, Ecuador.
"Let's see how he fights when he hasn't got 40,000-50,000 of his own fans behind him.
"To me, a great champion can go anywhere in the world, out of his comfort zone and still deliver.
"I'm not convinced, America is not convinced. Let him leave his home town and try to invade the United States and beat Bernard Hopkins, a great champion, a legend."
Hopkins once dominated the middleweight division but now plies his trade at light-heavyweight, the division in which a prospective fight is likely to take place.
The Philadelphian boasts a career record of 48 wins, four losses and a draw.
Calzaghe immediately challenged Hopkins after his recent victory over Mikkel Kessler in Cardiff but the American is a notoriously tough negotiator.
He denied ducking the fight, saying: "I've never ducked anyone. Bernard Hopkins has beaten people that nobody else wanted to fight - Winky Wright, Antonio Tarver.
"I knocked out Felix Trinidad easily, Oscar de la Hoya with a body shot, I had world title 20 defences.
"If it happens it happens, if it doesn't it doesn't. He mentioned my name after the fight, I didn't mention his.
"I was sat at home in my rocking chair, sipping a cup of tea, with my teeth in a glass, minding my own business.
"I'd get more attention and more out of it if I waited to fight the winner of Roy Jones-Felix Trinidad."
Hopkins also revealed he would be willing to fight Britain's new cruiserweight world champion David Haye but only if he steps up to heavyweight - a move the Londoner is planning.
"The cruiserweight division is nothing but a stopover for the heavyweight division," Hopkins said.
"If David Haye moves up and wins a heavyweight title, that would be a fight that would get me really aroused, but I'm not getting aroused about fighting for a cruiserweight championship."


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