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RECENTLY retired world champion Danny Green tips Joe Calzaghe to trump Bernard Hopkins in this weekend's "Battle Of The Planet" in his old division, but expects the veterans to produce few fireworks.
The fight in Las Vegas between unbeaten former super-middleweight king Calzaghe (44-0) and long-standing ex-middleweight supremo Hopkins (48-4-1) looms as one of the biggest fights this year between two of the world's leading pound-for-pound fighters.
Australian Green was a major figure in the division until last month, when he shocked the boxing world by announcing his retirement and relinquishing his World Boxing Association title.
Both Green and fellow Australian Sakio Bika, one of only two Australians to fight Calzaghe, felt age would favour the Welshman: at 36, he is seven years younger than his American adversary.
Both Calzaghe and Hopkins are renowned for their boxing smarts and cunning, which could lead to a tactical battle rather than a slugfest.
"I think youth is going to be on Calzaghe's side, but I don't think it's going to be a terribly exciting fight," Green said. "I expect it to go the distance and I think Calzaghe is going to get the decision, but I think it's going to be a bit of a spoiler fight.
"Bernard is very smart and cagey and he doesn't want to get hurt and he doesn't want to take any punishment. And as good as he has been, I think Calzaghe is going to beat him, but all respect goes to Hopkins, he's a legend."
World-ranked super-middleweight Bika, who was one of Calzaghe's numerous world title victims, found it difficult to split the weekend's protagonist but if he had to choose, it would be Calzaghe.
Bika, who turned 29 yesterday, still harbours hopes of a rematch with Calzaghe, who outpointed him in 2006, though the Welshman has indicated he is unlikely to return to super-middleweight.
The Sydney fighter will head to America in early May to meet his promoter Jeff Wald to discuss his next fight.