Calzaghe wavers on plans after fight with Jones Jr.

Joe Calzaghe would make a great politician when he's finished with boxing.

But when will the light heavyweight champion be through with the sport?

Calzaghe, 36, flip-flopped on his future when asked about it last week. One minute, he said his Nov. 8 fight with Roy Jones Jr. at Madison Square Garden in New York would be his final fight. Then he said he wasn't sure, and, depending how he fared against Jones, would evaluate where things stood.

Call him Joe the Waffler.

"It's probably my last fight, so I want to go out a champion," Calzaghe (45-0) said. But when pressed on retiring, he said, "I just want to fight this fight. After Nov. 8, we'll talk about that."

Calzaghe said while he was impressed with Bernard Hopkins' Oct. 18 rout of Kelly Pavlik, he didn't take much away from Hopkins' win other than it putting to rest the notion that he and Pavlik should meet.

"That should shut everyone up who wants to see me with Pavlik," he said. "Hopkins looked good, but I beat him."

Calzaghe, who likes to throw upward of 100 punches per round, said he'll be a busier fighter against Jones than he was when he beat Hopkins in April at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"Styles make fights," he said. "I knew Hopkins didn't want to fight. With Roy Jones, he likes to fight. He comes forward. You've got someone who's dangerous, but I think I've got the work rate to break him down in the second half of the fight."

Calzaghe said that after 25 years in the ring and having accomplished so much, he's not motivated by a big payday to keep fighting -- which is why he's leaning toward retirement.

"If you fight just for the money, you're going to get beat," he said.

Then he talked about how much he'd like to unify the light heavyweight division.

"I've wanted a unification fight for years," he said. "I always wanted to hold all the belts. It's very frustrating for me."

It was Joe the Waffler at his undecided best.

• DOC'S FUNERAL -- Funeral services for legendary trainer Charles "Doc" Broadus are scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday at Bunkers Mortuary, 925 Las Vegas Blvd. North.

Broadus, 88, died Oct. 14 from natural causes following a lengthy illness.

A public viewing will be from 5 to 9 p.m. today at Bunkers. Burial will be at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City.

Broadus helped guide George Foreman to the gold medal in the 1968 Olympics. He also worked with several world champions, including Sugar Ray Leonard, Bob Foster, Oscar De La Hoya and Roger Mayweather.

• DONAIRE-MTHALANE OFFICIALS -- The Nevada Athletic Commission has chosen Joe Cortez to work Saturday's IBF flyweight title fight at Mandalay Bay between champion Nonito Donaire and South African Moruti Mthalane.

Robert Hoyle and Adalaide Byrd of Las Vegas and Michael Pernick of Florida will judge the fight.

• HARD ROCK CARD -- Three undefeated local fighters highlight Top Rank's card at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on Friday.

Diego Magdaleno (6-0, three knockouts) will meet Travis Thompson (3-2-1, two KOs) in a six-round super featherweight bout. Sharif Bogere (3-0, two KOs) will face Mike Peralta of Carson City (4-3, one KO) in a four-round lightweight bout, and Anthony Lenk (5-0, three KOs) will meet an opponent to be determined in a four-round super lightweight bout.

The card, which will be televised on Telefutura, also has Julio Diaz (35-4, 26 KOs) facing Fernando Trejo (30-14-4, 18 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight bout.

The first bell is scheduled for 4:15 p.m., and tickets are priced at $30, $50 and $75.

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