Calzaghe Injury Delays Proposed Bout With Jones

Joe Calzaghe's proposed light-heavyweight contest against veteran American Roy Jones Jnr at Madison Square Garden on September 20 has been postponed because the undefeated Welshman has injured his right hand in training and cannot be ready in time for the New York date.

Speculation in the US suggests the fight might be re-scheduled for November, although Ricky Hatton's IBO world light-welterweight title defence against New York's Paulie Malignaggi is set to be officially announced soon to take place at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas on November 22.

Hatton, 29, who has been on holiday in Marbella, is to have talks with his father and manager Ray about whether or not to continue his career-long professional relationship with the Manchester trainer Billy Graham. Recently, Hatton's younger bother Matthew split with Graham leaving Ricky as Graham's only fighter.

The world's No1 middleweight Kelly Pavlik, 26, who holds the WBC and WBO versions of the world title, is to face former middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, 43, in Atlantic City, NJ, on October 18. It will be Hopkins first fight since losing a split decision to Calzaghe in April.

Calzaghe recently decided not to relinquish the WBO world super-middleweight title he won against Chris Eubank in 1997, suggesting that he may be prepared to go back on earlier statements that a Jones fight would be his last. Now, he could defend the title against Pavlik, provided he beats Hopkins, at some stage in 2009.