HOPKINS HITS OUT AT CALZAGHE SNR
Bernard Hopkins claims that Joe Calzaghe's trainer and father Enzo is using his son to make up for his own failings.
Hopkins faces the unbeaten Brit Joe Calzaghe in the early hours of Sunday morning in Las Vegas for the light heavyweight title and the American has hit out at Joe's father Enzo, who he claims is fuelling his own ego through his son's success.
"His ego can't let him stop it because it's like him being in the ring," said Hopkins at the pre-fight press conference.
"It's really Enzo, that's why he'd rather see Joe carried
out than quit."
Calzaghe Snr hit back at the slur, branding Hopkins as: "the biggest coward under the sun."
"He stands no chance and the effect is zilch," he added.
Joe Calzaghe sets into a Las Vegas ring for the first time this weekend for his light heavyweight debut - can he overcome the veteran American Bernard Hopkins? Check out the latest boxing spread betting markets at Sporting Index.
After the conference, however, Hopkins continued to mock Calzaghe Snr.
"Joe's father fell short of his goals and he's living
through his son, who he forced to be a fighter," Hopkins told BBC Sport.
"He (Enzo) wanted to be a fighter but fell short of
that for whatever reason. So his son, if you believe Joe's book, was forced to
box.
"His son liked soccer, Joe never wanted to become a
fighter. His son fell in love with being a fighter, I was born a fighter.
"It's like he's losing (in the ring), like him quitting. He'll be hurt just as much as Joe will be because he's living through his son."
Enzo responded: "He's talking along those lines purely and simply because of that fear factor. Let him talk. When the bell goes on Saturday night all the talk will be over."
The comments are the latest in the build-up to Calzaghe's first bout at light heavyweight class, having become the undisputed champion super middleweight champion in November by beating Mikkel Kessler in Cardiff.
Earlier in the week, Joe Calzaghe branded the 43-year-old Hopkins - seven years his senior- as "too old."
The Calzaghe camp even offered Hopkins a walking stick at yesterday's press conference, which he accepted with good humour.
"The guy is 43 years old - he's not the Bionic Man, he's human," Calzaghe told BBC Sport.
"You can have all the trainers and nutritionists you like, but he'll be made to fight for 12 rounds and Father Time catches up with everybody.
"If I can make a 28-year-old Mikkel Kessler blow out of his behind, I'm sure I can make this guy do the same after a few rounds.
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