Gwent boxing hero Joe Calzaghe has vowed to make the Egyptian Magician, Kabary Salem, disappear within five rounds in Edinburgh tonight.

Calzaghe has not fought in eight months and Salem has a reputation of being a tough nut to crack (he has never been knocked out in his 26 fights) but the WBO super middleweight champ is in confident mood.

"I'll smash him up inside five (rounds)," Calzaghe predicted. "I have seldom been more confident of putting on a big display."

Calzaghe is hoping to send out a statement to big guns in America such as Antonio Tarver, Glen Jones and Bernard Hopkins that he is still in business.

He said: "I hope Frank Warren can get me a fight with Antonio Tarver in the States because that is my dream.

"You saw what happened with Roy Jones, and I don't want him anymore, I want the man who beat the man and that may be Tarver or even Johnson."

Despite only stepping into the ring once this year and facing a less glamorous opponent Calzaghe insisted that he is in good shape and he didn't struggle more than usual to make the 12 stone mark.

He said: "It has always been difficult for me to get down to the weight but no more so than usual in the past five years or so.

"I am professional about these things. I've been through the routine so many times that I don't think about it anymore.

"I train meticulously and look after my diet but believe me I will be strong against Salem." Calzaghe also denies that he will be taking his opponent lightly and is focussed on tonight's bout rather than the future.

"I watched him against Mario Veit and he is a much better fighter than him but nowhere near my league," he said.

"As long as Joe Calzaghe turns up on the night at his best I will still be world champion. I just need to make sure I bring out my A-class game."

Calzaghe came face to face with his opponent on Wednesday and got embroiled in a war of words with Salem's trainer Nettles Nasser but the champ denied being wound up.

"He hasn't wound me up, but his hanger-on has," he joked, "It's a pity I am not fighting him.

He can talk now, it is easy to talk outside the ring, but once you get under those ropes you let your fists do the talking and believe me, my fists will be doing the talking tonight."