BEAMING Joe Calzaghe is ready for his swansong with Roy Jones Jr after American ‘Executioner’ Bernard Hopkins laid Joe’s ‘Ghost’ to rest.

For months Calzaghe has been widely criticised for choosing fights with veterans Jones and Hopkins in preference to previously undefeated middleweight Kelly Pavlik, known throughout the world as the ‘Ghost’.

However, following Hopkins’ destruction of America’s favourite boxing son Pavlik at the weekend, where he inflicted the first defeat of the Ohio fighter’s career in a brutally one-sided affair, Calzaghe insists he has been utterly vindicated in his choice of opponent.

Argus columnist Calzaghe steps into the ring for the final time in his extraordinary career on November 8 when he faces four-weight world champion Jones at the Mecca of boxing, New York’s Madison Square Garden, attempting to protect an unblemished 45-0 winning record.

And after watching 44-year old Hopkins stun the boxing world by annihilating Pavlik, Calzaghe was only too happy to be proved right in his assessment of Pavlik, who he described in his column last week as “one-dimensional” and “overrated”.

Speaking at his final press event in the UK before the fight, Calzaghe told the Argus: “For me fighting Roy Jones at Madison Square Garden is a fairytale ending to my career, yet all people have been saying is ‘why aren’t you fighting Kelly Pavlik’. I am going to create history and beat a legend, but that’s not enough for some people.

“I made the right decision, Pavlik is overrated and overhyped and the fight at the weekend has put my win over Bernard Hopkins into perspective.

“To beat Hopkins in Vegas, considering that he smashed Pavlik in every single round at the weekend, it makes me very happy with the choices I have made.

“I never felt under pressure to fight Pavlik, he is limited and it’s nice to be proved right.

“I have been hard on myself for the way I fought against Hopkins, but his destruction of Pavlik puts into perspective how special it was to beat him.”

Calzaghe was blown away by Hopkins’ performance.

“I think Saturday was the greatest performance of Hopkins’ career, so no-one can take that victory over him away from me anymore, he demolished Pavlik,” he said.

“Pavlik can’t even throw a double-jab, I feel more proud of beating Hopkins now and when I beat Jones and he ends up fighting Hopkins next year maybe I can do commentary!

“After fighting Mikkel Kessler I knew I couldn’t fight at super middleweight anymore and now I just want to fight legends.

“Pavlik was becoming an itch I couldn’t scratch with his red neck coach calling me out all the time, but now Pavlik is history and I don’t have to worry about him.”

Calzaghe has, however, categorically ruled out a rematch with Hopkins, insisting the fight with Jones is his last.

“I won the fight with Bernard, it wasn’t great to watch because styles make fights,” he said.

“We didn’t gel and I don’t think a second fight would be better, it would be worse a second time around because it would be in Wales and I would beat him more easily.

“It’s over between Bernard and me. It’s history. One more fight and I am done.”