Streetwise Joe Calzaghe must outsmart The Executioner Bernard Hopkins

America's hope is that Britain's supermiddleweight world champion has stumbled outside his "comfort zone" and will be exposed as a "slapper" who avoided the great testing grounds of New York and Nevada for so long because he knew he would lose his 44-fight unbeaten record.

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Amid this barrage of psychological pressure, Calzaghe's 8,000-plus supporters cling to their faith in his comparative youth (36 plays 43), relentless work-rate and apparent invincibility to succeed where Ricky Hatton failed against Floyd Mayweather.

Some fights unravel the closer you get to the bell. Their flaws show up in the white light of analysis. This one has seemed more compelling with every syllable.

Here's why: before Calzaghe's Newbridge shack/gym dispatched its regulars to the Nevada desert, the mantra was that Hopkins was an 'old man': a decrepit legend of the middleweight division, ready for the taking.

Then we all touched down and studied him, listened to his cogent monologues and compared the Hopkins corner to that of Calzaghe, who moves up to the light-heavyweight 12st 7lb division for the first time.

In Hopkins' camp are the esteemed Freddie Roach, conditioner Mackie Shilstone, old ally Nazim Richardson and the high-class southpaw sparring partner John David Jackson, who was hired to help Hopkins deal with his opponent's 'righty' style.

Calzaghe, on the other hand, has relied on his excitable dad Enzo and young Nathan Cleverly, who is unbeaten in 11 fights but not in John David Jackson's class as a training partner.

This old-school approach to the defining fight of his career will add further lustre to the victory if Calzaghe can overcome Hopkins' defensive cunning and Machiavellian tendencies.

Hopkins is an ageing fighter but not a 'shot' one, so confidence in a Calzaghe win has dimmed. Not to the point where it's logical to desert him but certainly to the extent that tiny margins separate the two protagonists.

The attitude of the three Nevada State judges could yet settle the argument. This is what the Hopkins camp think. Roach said: "In Las Vegas boxing rings the judges tend to reward effective punching. They don't reward slaps or pitter-patter punches as much and that's one of our advantages."

A professor of this brutal trade, Roach is worth hearing, even if his analysis suggests a tighter contest than we were all expecting when the $10m contract was agreed.

"I believe Bernard will control the fight. He's a smarter fighter," said Roach. "Our job was to come up with a plan to beat Calzaghe's unusual style. And yes he does have a weakness. He stands up a little bit square and throws punches over the top, which leaves openings for a good counter-puncher.

"The age difference isn't so relevant. How many beatings has Bernard taken? That's the question, not age. I retired at 27 because I was a give-and-take fighter. These guys are smarter than me, they don't get hit so much."

Most analysts see Calzaghe opening up fast and free and running up an early lead which Hopkins will then have to scramble to negate.

Hopkins has won the pre-fight psychological exchanges, but still has to keep a fresher opponent off him in the bout.

Calzaghe said: "I see a guy who's lost four fights and is 43-years-old. I'm undefeated. I'm relaxed and excited about this fight. With the extra seven pounds I feel healthier, stronger and just as fast. Is he going to get desperate and use dirty tactics? Yes, I think he will.

"Sometimes in the past the occasion would get to me and I'd come out like a bull from the gate. You saw my maturity in the Mikkel Kessler fight. When things weren't going for me I reverted to boxing. Years ago I'd have gone toe-to-toe. I know his game. He's expecting me to come in wild, throwing lots of shots and is planning to catch me with the big right hand. He'll need more than that."

Amid the trash-talk, the Hopkins camp know Calzaghe presents a mighty threat to The Executioner's legacy. The money spent on expertise is ample proof of that.

As Richardson says of Calzaghe, who is unbeaten in 15 years: "One of the greatest assets in sport is the habit of winning — when you find an athlete who always finds a way to win."

Hopkins, meanwhile, pummels Calzaghe's thoughts. The other day he lectured two promising young American fighters in our media centre and held the room rapt: "Joe drinks Guinness beer. I haven't drunk in 23 years, man. These are edges. I've sacrificed having fun. There were big events where I could have popped a bottle of champagne in front of my camp. I had the excuses and the temptations, but I conditioned myself early. You know what it is? It's discipline.

"I've been a master at adapting to other people's styles in the ring. If he throws a thousand punches he's open to get hit 1,000 times. And I am the most accurate pin-point puncher.

"You come and try to chase me down, you think I'm going to go into a shell and let you steal the fight or the round? You can't pittypat with me. To take a guy into a dark alley where he's going to get ambushed — that's a skill."

Doom's bell tries to toll when Hopkins says: "This fight is over when Joe realises he can't hurt me."

I think it's over when Calzaghe wins on points. Just.

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