“I’m backing Calzaghe. But then I backed Japan in World War II,” says American boxing historian Bert Sugar. “I was winning at half-time…” Decked out in an Ireland rugby shirt the day before the fight, he wasn’t the only one confused.

Earlier, the great Roy Jones (the “great” bit being almost obligatory) told the BBC he wanted to fight Joe Calzaghe at Wimbledon, which might not be such a bad idea, at least it would mean getting a bit more use out of the place.

I think he meant Wembley, but then again he told me later that he wanted the fight at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, so he was probably making it up as he went along.

For sure, a match between Jones and Calzaghe would have been far more relevant a few years back, but what a way for the son of Newbridge to cap off a glorious career. Eighty thousand screaming Welshmen in virtually his own backyard – as Jones put it, “I could do that”.

There are a fair few Welshmen in Vegas at the moment, and after a slow build-up, Planet Hollywood's casino floor is now streaming blood red. One of them, Wayne from Cardiff, reckons Calzaghe is going “to have Hopkins’s heart on toast”, which is funny, because Hopkins clearly sees it the other way round.

At the weigh-in attended by 4,000 or so Calzaghe fans and about seven Hopkins supporters, B-Hop prodded his rival repeatedly in the chest and warned: “I’m going to bust your heart”. “What are you going to do about it?” said Calzaghe, pointing to his army of fans, but it was the Hopkins remark that chimed loudest.

Because in our earlier chat, Jones told me that Calzaghe’s heart was indeed his weakness, but not because it was suspect, but because it ticks too loud. “He’s game, and when he gets hit, he goes right back at you and opens up.”

Also at the weigh-in were Back To The Future lead Michael J Fox, looking more like a photocopier repair man than a Hollywood star, and Sly Stallone, who flexed his guns and soaked up the inevitable roars of “Rocky! Rocky!” and the odd “A-D-R-I-A-N!” that rained down from the cheap seats.


Amir Khan was also introduced on stage by Michael Buffer, a man who could make asking for a tube of thrush cream at the chemist sound sexy, and the rumour is he could be fighting in Vegas some time soon, with Planet Hollywood CEO Robert Earl keen to buy into boxing big-time.

Tony from Newport, who was also at the Hatton-Mayweather circus last year, reckoned the weigh-in for that fight was “the best sporting event I’ve ever attended”, and this one wasn’t far off.

Wales flags hanging from the upper deck of the auditorium, Land Of Our Fathers bouncing off the walls, Cardiff City shirts everywhere you looked – it could only have been more Welsh if Max Boyce was up on stage jousting with Calzaghe instead of Hopkins.



The face-off, by general consent, was a spicy one, with the rivals touching foreheads and promoter Frank Warren having to push the fighters apart. Most important though was the fact Calzaghe looked totally unfazed but Hopkins’s barbs.

Calzaghe’s fans had been three-deep at the nearby bar for more than an hour before the weigh-in itself, and ask any Brit what they’ve been up to all week, and the chances are they’ll say: “Drinking, mainly…”

Terry from Swansea (not his real name) had his trousers stolen by a 'night worker' on Thursday night, although I’m not sure he wanted his mates to tell me. Losing one’s trousers doesn’t sound that disastrous, but they contained his wallet and passport.

For the record, he reckons Calzaghe will batter Hopkins on Saturday night, and I’ll lay monstrous odds on finding anyone with a British accent that disagrees with him.

“He’s the most underrated fighter in the world,” said Terry. “Who can throw the punches he does? Calzaghe’s as good as there’s ever been. It’s all about Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali and Joe Calzaghe.

“He’s so quick, he’s supremely fit, he’s got a good chin, incredible skills - and he’s Welsh. What more could you want?”

PS. I have been known to exaggerate slightly, but I’ve been outside twice since arriving at my hotel on Monday, and I can tell you this air conditioning does nothing for your skin. I now understand what Alan Partridge meant when he said: “This morning, my pillow looked like a flapjack.”

PS. A common criticism of the Rocky movies is that Stallone is simply too small to be a heavyweight contender. But stand next to Roy Jones, and you’ll realise it’s not so fanciful. Jones, a former heavyweight world champion, is only a wee fella in the flesh.

PPS. The list of ringside celebs has landed on my desk, and they're so famous, they need only a one-name introduction: Pitt, Willis, Sheen, Arnie, Zeta-Jones, Belushi, and, erm, Deeley. Oh yes, and Simon Cowell will be there too. Who’d have thought it, Cowell a fight fan? Next they’ll be telling me David Niven was a huge fan of Slayer.