Joe Calzaghe vs Roy Jones Jr

	This makes me favour a late stoppage or, more likely, a points victory

In what has been billed the final fight of his illustrious career Joe Calzaghe retained his perfect record by handily defeating Roy Jones Jr on points, as predicted by our tipster below

A battle of two boxing legends takes place this Saturday night when Joe Calzaghe tries to secure his legacy with a victory over Roy Jones Junior in defence of his Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight belt. The contest takes place at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, a venue which has hosted its fair share of legendary fights in the history of boxing. The big names in this match-up will surely lure punters on both sides of the Atlantic to part with their cash on the fight.

So how do the fighters measure up? Well, to start with, the 39-year-old Jones is not the same man who dominated the light heavyweight division in the nineties and early years of this decade. The lightning reflexes which made him a hall-of-fame great are just not there anymore and he has become distinctly chinny when it comes to taking a big punch. He has lost three of his last six fights in the past four years. He was stopped in the second round in his rematch with Antonio Tarver and was knocked out in the ninth round by Glen Johnson. He last lost on points in the rubber match with Tarver in 2005. His recent contests include victories over Anthony Hanshaw and Prince Badi Ajamu. While I have not checked if these warriors have made it on to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s “most wanted list” they are certainly not names of any distinction in the sport of boxing.

Opinionated American boxing journalist Lance Williams says a metamorphosis has taken place with Jones turning into “lucky charms”, a popular brand of breakfast cereal in the US. “If you are a boxer 160’ up and you are looking for a name to get a big pay day and blitz and blast out of there, Roy Jones Junior is your guy. He is lucky charms. He is clearly not the same fighter as he was in his prime. So if you are Joe Calzaghe and you don’t want to postpone another bout with Glen Johnson, then Roy Jones Junior will step up and sign on the dotted line to get starched and eaten up like lucky charms,” says Williams.

I am inclined to agree with the prognosis of Williams. Calzaghe’s tough, unorthodox southpaw style will be far too much for Jones. At 36, Calzaghe is yet to show any signs of decline. His last victory against Bernard Hopkins – which is all the more impressive given the Executioner’s recent victory over middleweight king Kelly Pavlik – once again demonstrated his greatness. The question punters having a bet on this contest should ask is not if but how Calzaghe will beat Jones.

While Jones is past his best he is still a slick craftsman of the ring. He has not lost the instinct to survive. Calzaghe – after a career blighted by hand injuries – is unlikely to come into the contest on a mission to blast his opponent out early. This makes me favour a late stoppage – around the tenth or eleventh round for the Welshman – or, more likely, a points victory. Expect Calzaghe to rack up points on the judges cards while he plays pitter, patter on the face of the once great Jones. Both fighters are self-promoted in this contest, Calzaghe having recently parted company with his long-term promoter Frank Warren. So who knows, maybe after a “controversial” points decision the pair will have a money-spinning re-match and fight again. That way everyone’s a winner.