FORMER American middleweight king Antwun Echols is the Number 1 target to contest Joe Calzaghe's WBO super-middleweight crown next month, the Argus can reveal today.

With a limited number of worthy opponents, Calzaghe declared in the Argus last Friday that Louisiana's Echols would be his preferred option when he defends his title for the 11th time at Cardiff Castle on August 17.

Last night a source at Sports Network, who promote all of the Newbridge hero's fights, confirmed Frank Warren was chasing Echols' signature.

"It's definitely who we want," said the source. "Frank is doing everything he can to get Echols and the deal should be done this week."

Jay Larkin, head of sports programming at USA cable company Showtime, which will show the fight in America, has backed a Calzaghe-Echols showdown.

He said: "Echols would give Joe his best test and provide him with the best opportunity to showcase himself to a US audience."

Former USBA and NABF champion Echols was pencilled in to fight Calzaghe on the Mike Tyson bill in Copenhagen last November, but it fell through.

Echols has all the right credentials to give Calzaghhe a legitimate test and persuade the lucrative American market that the Welshman is worth a unification fight with middleweight supremo Bernard Hopkins - possibly at the Millennium Stadium next year.