JOE Calzaghe is ready to give up the WBO and IBF world super-middleweight titles he unified only yesterday to finally launch himself in America.

His 12-round destruction of Jeff Lacy, a fighter regarded by many as potentially the USA's most powerful fighter, at Manchester's MEN Arena last night, made a massive impact shown live on America's Showtime network.

And now that he is at last a household name there and recognised as the great fighter he is, his earning potential has rocketed.

But even though his staggering performance has made Calzaghe rethink a decision to retire within 18 months, he has to move quickly to cash in.

He is set to move up to light-heavyweight, where Antonio Tarver is the undoubted king.

But Tarver is due to meet former undisputed middleweight supremo Bernard Hopkins in June, which leaves the once-great Roy Jones junior, twice beaten by Tarver, as again a possible opponent.

Should the Americans be frightened off by Calzaghe's astonishingly one-sided win over Lacy, a highly attractive domestic fight against IBF champion Clinton Woods might be possible.

Failing that, Calzaghe could again put off a move up the weights and seek virtual total unification of the super-middleweight by fighting unbeaten Danish WBC champion Mikkel Kessler.

"After eight years of trying to unify the division it will be pretty hard to give up," admitted the Newbridge star.

"But if an opportunity to fight Tarver or Jones in the USA comes along, I'll go for it.

"They are the massive fights I need at this stage of my career, and after my performance against Lacy I think I deserve them.

"Tarver's the man of the moment but I don't think he's an exciting fighter. "Roy Jones would be a bigger fight and I'd love to fight him."

Lacy's camp described Calzaghe's display in the early hours of yesterday as better than any boxer world-wide, but didn't think it would scare off the top US light-heavies.

Calzaghe promoter Frank Warren said, however: "There's never been a problem for Joe to fight the top Americans, the problem has been getting them to fight Joe.

"We'll sit down in a week or so and decide our strategy." Calzaghe, who yesterday badly bruised the same left hand he broke against Evans Ashira, admitted afterwards he had almost called the Lacy fight off a second time.

"Three weeks ago I injured a wrist in sparring, missed training for five days, and it was 50-50 if the fight went ahead.

"But my father said I could beat Lacy standing on my head and would never get the opportunity of another big fight if I pulled out again, so I took a risk.

"My father gave me the confidence to go ahead, I decided to grin and bear it, and I still won every round."