Joe gears up for 'one hell of a fight'

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Jones, now 39, is still trying to rebuild a career after reigning supreme for a decade between 1993 and 2003.

The eight-title, four-weight champion slumped to three straight defeats - against Antonio Tarver, Glen Johnson and Tarver again - in 2004 and 2005 and has fought only three times since then.

The most recent outing came in January when Jones easily out-pointed a lacklustre Felix Trinidad.

But Calzaghe believes Jones is primed and ready for a return to his former greatness.

"Roy says he's in the best condition he's been in for years - I believe that - and I'm in the best condition I've been in for years so it's going to be one hell of a fight," Calzaghe said during his final pre-fight press conference in Manhattan.

"I was one of those guys that wrote him off but he's come back and had three good wins.

"He's Roy Jones Jr and when I sit back and look at other opponents, the guy's a legend, an even bigger legend than Hopkins. This is redemption for him so you can't write Roy Jones off. I can't go in there sloppy like I did with Hopkins or else I'm heading for trouble. It's going to be a great fight."

Jones echoed that sentiment and claimed he would be motivated by Barack Obama's success in the US presidential election.

"That made me feel so good to be an American again and I'm so proud to be an American," Jones said.

"It's 20 years since I represented this country [at the 1988 Olympics] and I poured my heart out for it then and I'll pour my heart out for it again.

"This country's about change and I'm about change."