Hand Injury Hits Calzaghe's New York Date With Jones

Joe Calzaghe's proposed September 20 light-heavyweight fight against the former champion Roy Jones Jr at Madison Square Garden has been postponed because the undefeated Welshman has injured a hand in training and cannot be ready in time.

Throughout a professional career that began in 1993 Calzaghe, 36, has been afflicted by brittle hands which have caused numerous fight postponements. The Jones contest may be rescheduled for November if a television slot can be agreed with the US cable network HBO.

Calzaghe's father and trainer, Enzo, said his son had sprained his wrist while hitting pads and will need up to three weeks' recovery time. "When he woke up with a swollen wrist, I looked at it and it looked bloody awful," he said.

Calzaghe has repeatedly said that Jones will be his last opponent before retirement, but he has decided not to relinquish the WBO world super-middleweight title he won against Chris Eubank in 1997, prompting speculation that he might be ready to defend the title next year irrespective of the result against Jones.

Before his split with the promoter Frank Warren after a 12-year working relationship, talks had been at an advanced stage between Warren and Bob Arum, promoter of the world middleweight champion, Kelly Pavlik, about an October 18 contest between Calzaghe and Pavlik. That date is to be set aside for a fight between Pavlik and the former champion Bernard Hopkins in Atlantic City.

Pavlik, 26, is undefeated and has twice beaten Jermain Taylor, who earlier ended Hopkins' decade of dominance by twice outpointing the veteran Philadelphian. The non-title fight is to be made at 170lb (12st 2lb) and will be Hopkins' first since he lost a split decision against Calzaghe in April. Pavlik's most recent outing was last month when he stopped the Welshman Gary Lockett in three rounds.

Victory for Pavlik, who attracts fanatical support in his home town of Youngstown, Ohio, would build his reputation as one of the rising stars of the sport and open up the possibility of a challenge for Calzaghe's 12st WBO super-middleweight title.

An official announcement is imminent that Ricky Hatton will defend his IBO light-welterweight championship against New York's Paulie Malignaggi, who holds the IBF version of the title, at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, on November 22. Hatton, 29, is yet to decide whether to continue his career-long link to the Manchester trainer Billy Graham. Recently Hatton's younger brother Matthew decided to split from Graham, leaving Ricky as the trainer's only fighter.

Amir Khan's manager, Asif Vali, has denied a report that Jorge Rubio, the former trainer of the Cuban amateur boxing team, is to be as Khan's new trainer.