Calzaghe eyes Hopkins fight

WBO super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe wants to take on the winner of Bernard Hopkins' showdown with Winky Wright in January.

The 35-year-old Welshman hopes to fight WBC and WBO middleweight champion Jermain Taylor, but his promoter Frank Warren is still locked in negotiations with opposite number Lou DiBella over matching the rivals in September.

Calzaghe's top target is Hopkins and he said of projected 'superfights' before he bows out of the ring: "Hopkins would interest me. Hopkins won his last fight against Antonio Tarver so he's still a formidable opponent.

"He looked good against Tarver but he's 42 and he can't go on forever. The winner of Winky Wright and Hopkins could be my opponent for January.

"They're fighting in July and I think they'll put on a good show, but Hopkins will be too big for Winky Wright. Roy Jones doesn't interest me because he's been knocked out too many times.

"I'd like three more fights, all of them against big names. Two years ago I said I'd have three more fights. Three fights later I want three more. Whatever happens, I want to go out at the top, that's for sure."

A unification fight with WBA and WBC champion Mikkel Kessler is a possibility but Calzaghe insists Taylor is the opponent he wants most.

He added: "Kessler is a good fighter. Frank has been talking to his promoter over the last few days, trying to do something with him.

"But I think that fight may be six months or more down the road. Kessler is not a big name in America.

"He's had a couple of good wins but in his last fight he beat Markus Bayer, who was shot. We can go down the Kessler road but Taylor is the one for me."

© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.