Calzaghe is 'blown up' because he's white, says Hopkins

Published on Wednesday 16 April 2008 23:48

BERNARD Hopkins has once again risked playing the race card ahead of Saturday night's showdown with Joe Calzaghe by insisting the Welshman is only regarded as great because he is white.

Hopkins drew a parallel with basketball Hall of Famer Larry Bird, whom he also believes benefited from extra hype because he stood out in a sport largely dominated by black athletes.

It is Hopkins' second jibe at Calzaghe on the issue after he defiantly declared he would "never lose to a white man" during a heated exchange between the pair at the Ricky Hatton versus Floyd Mayweather fight in December.

Hopkins said: "I guess you can look at Calzaghe's situation as someone who has been blown up more than the others.

"It reminds me of Larry Bird – great basketball player but did he get his notoriety based on how he could play, or that he could play more than the average guy of his colour could play?

"White athletes stand out more and get more attention because they seem to be somewhat more special than the norm."

In an interview published in the latest edition of The Ring magazine, Hopkins went on to criticise the credentials of British fighters in general, and said the rivalry between the two nations gave him more incentive. He added: "Joe Calzaghe is the guy we have to beat to show the Brits that we (Americans] are stronger and better.

"Even though their pound has more value than my dollar their fighting talent isn't better. They will prove that.

"The Brits gave me a major purpose. They booed the national anthem (at the Hatton fight] but they're going to be booing something else when it's all said and done and my hand is raised in victory."

Hopkins and Calzaghe undertook separate public workouts in the ring in the Planet Hollywood resort before facing the media again to each underline their conviction in success.

Calzaghe is one of the most reluctant champions to see his name up in lights on the Las Vegas Strip.

While Vegas lover Hatton relished his three trips to Nevada last year, Calzaghe still has to be persuaded to accept that having his face glowing down from the giant neon billboards is really much to write home about.

And Hopkins said: "Calzaghe is probably a god in Europe but he is not a Ricky Hatton. Hatton showed a lot of balls a long time ago by coming over here and fighting. Joe had the opportunity when he was 32 or 33, not 36."

Calzaghe insists he is far too focused on extending his unbeaten record and becoming a two-weight world champion to bother much about the historic setting for his showdown with middleweight great Hopkins.

But the Welshman maintains he has been willing to cross the Atlantic for years and has proved his point by accepting the challenge of Hopkins instead of seeing out his career in front of 50,000 fans in the Millennium Stadium. Despite his presence being promoted on everything from TV screens to room key cards at Planet Hollywood, Calzaghe said: "It's cool seeing my name in lights but I don't think about it much.

"At the end of the day I wanted to come here because Hopkins wouldn't come to Wales and I wanted to prove what I'm about. I didn't need to come to Vegas. I could have filled the Millennium Stadium with voluntary defences.

"I never really thought about fighting here when I was younger. I suppose it would have been a little bit disappointing if I had never got my chance to come to Las Vegas and fight.

"Maybe after my career is finished I will reflect on my 11 years as champion and the whole Vegas thing and maybe I'll appreciate it more. But for now a ring's a ring and it doesn't matter where it is."

Hopkins, who followed Calzaghe into the ring for a brief media workout, said one of his own motivations for this fight is to gain the acceptance of the Welshman's estimated 10,000 travelling fans.

"I will stick to the plan and to beat him easily will be the biggest revenge to make them apologise," he said.