Calzaghe braces for first U.S. fight

Joe Calzaghe will be a stranger in a strange land when he fights in the United States for the first time April 19.

But when the undefeated world super middleweight champion from Newbridge, Wales, enters the ring at the Thomas & Mack Center to face Bernard Hopkins, Calzaghe will see a familiar face.

The Nevada Athletic Commission has assigned Las Vegas referee Joe Cortez to work the 12-round light heavyweight title fight, and he's familiar with both fighters. He worked Calzaghe's fight with Chris Eubank in 1997 and worked Hopkins' fight with Robert Allen in 2004.

"Joe Cortez is very experienced, and I have the utmost respect for him," Calzaghe said last week. "You want an experienced ref who will allow you to fight but won't put up with any B.S."

It's the B.S. that concerns Calzaghe (44-0, 32 knockouts). He concedes he is leaving his comfort zone in the United Kingdom to fight Hopkins on the veteran's turf.

He also is aware of Hopkins' sometimes questionable tactics inside the ring, and he expects the 43-year-old fighter from Philadelphia to pull out all the stops to get the win and retain his Ring magazine belt, which will be on the line.

"He can be a bit of a dirty fighter," Calzaghe said. "He'll tie you up, hit you after the break. He's crafty.

"But I'll be ready for anything he tries to do. If he wants to box, we'll box. If he wants to fight, we'll fight. I'm just going to concentrate on what I do."

Calzaghe was to arrive in Las Vegas late Saturday. He said moving up from 168 to 175 pounds suits him fine.

"I feel I'll be better at the higher weight," Calzaghe said. "I don't have to starve myself like I have in some of my recent fights to get to 12 stone (168). My natural weight is 14 stone, so it's to my advantage. The power and the speed will still be there."

• MAYWEATHER FOOTS BILL -- One of the unheralded benefits from Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s participation in last week's WWE WrestleMania was Mayweather picking up the entire tab for the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions.

Mayweather, who reportedly got $20 million for his involvement in the wrestling event, will cover the operating budget of $140,000 for the May 5 to 10 event in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich.

"If there's anything worth putting my money toward, it's the Golden Gloves, which has been helping kids excel in boxing for years," Mayweather said.

Mayweather won three national Golden Gloves tournaments in three weight classes in the three years he competed (1993, '94 and '96). He also went undefeated over those three years.

"Floyd wanted to financially support the program he started his amateur boxing career with," said Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's adviser and co-manager. "He feels he is in the position he is today because of the Golden Gloves tournament and his amateur success in the Michigan boxing program."

Mayweather came out on top in his staged match with 441-pound Paul "Big Show" Wight, hitting him with a chair and using a pair of brass knuckles to knock him out.

• GOLDEN GLOVES REGIONALS -- Las Vegas' Christopher Eubank Jr. won the 165-pound title last weekend at the Western Regional Golden Gloves tournament in Mesquite. Eubank defeated Michael Gavronski of Washington in the final.

Las Vegan Lesley Walker, who fights out of the Elite Gym, won the 125-pound title by defeating Oregon's Salvador Bianco. Both will advance to the national Golden Gloves tournament next month in Grand Rapids.

Eubank, who fights out of Barry's Boxing, was awarded the Golden Boy Award as the tournament's outstanding athlete.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@ reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2913.