Calzaghe hand injury not serious

Joe Calzaghe scored an impressive victory over Jeff Lacy

Joe Calzaghe's problem hand has been given the all-clear following the unification showdown with Jeff Lacy that has sent him into the prime time.

The WBO champion claimed Lacy's IBF belt with a 12-round masterclass against his super-middleweight rival last Sunday morning in Manchester.

But there were fears afterwards that Calzaghe could have broken his hand.

"My hand is sore but fortunately it's not broken, just badly bruised," said Calzaghe.

"Pounding someone for 12 rounds you're going to get hand trouble!

"For 12 rounds I humiliated and beat a world-class fighter and made him look third-rate, so what does that say about me.

"I don't think Lacy's ever going to be the same fighter again because although physically he'll recover fine, boxing is a lot in the mind about confidence and self-belief.

You're only as good as your last fight and there will be another fight soon Joe Calzaghe

"But he was a true champion, a true heart and I respect him for coming over to Britain and risking his title - for that alone I've got a lot of respect for him.

"Finally after eight years of people ducking me I get a fighter with the same belief and the same heart and the same desire to want to be the best."

But Calzaghe's overwhelming and unanimous points decision over Lacy at the MEN Arena last weekend has dramatically increased the chances of a big-money fight with another top American.

"I've shown I'm not just a good fighter but one of the great British fighters - that's not from my mouth but from what I read and what people are saying about the fight," Calzaghe said.

"My boxing business is not finished yet. I'm going to enjoy this for a few weeks now, suck up the glory, but you're only as good as your last fight and there will be another fight soon."

July seems the most likely early date for Calazaghe to get back into the ring, but had he broken his hand once again his promoter, Frank Warren, would have had to look later in the year.

The Welshman was meant to face American rival Lacy last November before breaking his hand while beating Evans Ashira.

Calzaghe is hot property across the Atlantic at last and the 33-year-old must strike while the iron is hot.

"I'm hoping Frank Warren is going to get me a big fight - Antonio Tarver, Roy Jones Jr - the biggest of the big names right now," Calzaghe added.

"Now we can negotiate, now we can make those big fights we couldn't make before."

Jones, 37, is a four-weight world champion but has lost his last three fights, two of those to former light-heavyweight king Tarver.

Tarver is set to fight former world middleweight king Bernard Hopkins on 10 June, making it unlikely that either man will meet Calzaghe in July.

Jones in the frame for Calzaghe

Calzaghe revealed a training injury nearly saw him withdraw from the fight with Lacy.

"I was 50-50 whether to pull out of the fight because of a bit of an injury that interrupted my sparring," he said.

"I was worried I wasn't fit enough because I took four or five days off."

Although Calzaghe recovered from the injured left wrist, he has suffered throughout his career with a succession of hand injuries and now spars very little during training as a result.

"I took a gamble and it paid off," Calzaghe added.

"I wouldn't have had the big fight I've been striving for and at this stage of my career it was massive, the Lacy fight, it was what I needed."