NEWBRIDGE southpaw Joe Calzaghe could be heading for his eagerly-awaited US debut as early as January.

The 29-year-old star retained his WBO super-middleweight crown in stunning style last Saturday by wiping away American challenger Will McIntyre inside four rounds.

Calzaghe's ninth successive defence of his title was beamed from Copenhagen to America and the rest of the world through US cable TV company Showtime.

And now manager Frank Warren is confident he can persuade Showtime's bosses to screen a show-down with either David Reid or Eric Lucas in the New Year. A spokesman for Warren said last night: "Frank is planning for Joe's next fight right now and we definitely want America.

"The reaction to Joe's victory over McIntyre has been very positive in the States so, in turn, we are very confident about Joe's prospects."

Victory over Reid or Lucas coupled with another impressive display for the pay-per-view market, could open the locker-room door to a 'superfight with Roy Jones Jnr or Bernard Hopkins later on in 2002.

And Calzaghe is confident that former Olympic champion Reid or current WBC super-middleweight champion Lucas will pose no significant threat to his crown. "I can beat both of them easily," predicted super-confident Calzaghe. "They are not in the same class as me."

Flashy American Reid won the WBA light-middleweight title in 1999 and has only been beaten by the highly-rated Felix Trinidad.

Canadian Lucas, meanwhile, would be seen as a bigger threat to Calzaghe's lucrative ambitions.

The Montreal fighter took Jones Jnr to eleven rounds five years ago and won his bout with a seventh-round knock-out victory over Bristol's Glenn Catley.

The moves being made by Warren, meanwhile, will scupper any realistic hopes Welsh fans have of seeing their hero Calzaghe fighting back in Cardiff.

Calzaghe loved the atmosphere the 5,000 supporters created at the Cardiff International Arena where he was roared to a quick-fire victory over previously unbeaten German Mario Veit back in April.

But the golden pot at the end of the boxing rainbow is in America for Calzaghe who will hope he can stir up some travelling support, as seen at the Parken Stadium in the Danish capitol.

Hordes of Gwent fans made the trip and Calzaghe, who draped himself in the Welsh flag at the beginning and the end of the fight, added: "It was great to see them there. "We didn't have a lot of things to be happy about at the weekend with Wales losing to Ireland in the rugby but hopefully I made them proud.

"I really do appreciate their support and I know that I'm appreciated back home. "I would obviously love to fight at home in January to give them all a victory but, at the same time I'm, ready to conquer America."