It's On: Calzaghe, Hopkins Will Face Off on April 19

Has Bernard Hopkins finally met his match?

That's the first thought I had today upon reading the AP report that Hopkins will fight Joe Calzaghe on April 19 in Las Vegas. The bout will take place at the Thomas & Mack Center and be televised on HBO.

It's interesting to note that while Hopkins fought most of his career at middleweight, it will actually be Calzaghe who will be going up in weight - to light heavyweight - for the fight. The Executioner has looked pretty comfortable at that class, especially when he dismantled Antonio Tarver in June of 2006, but I don't think Calzaghe will look much different at 175 either.

History has proven that it's unwise to bet against Hopkins, but the 43-year-old will need all of his considerable savvy to fend off Calzaghe. The Pride of Wales is likely to be every bit as strong as Bernard, has an unrelenting style and has shown that he will not tire in the late rounds of close fights. He also comes in off a hard-fought win against Mikkel Kessler, where he showed a full range of offensive and defensive skills.

As far as the entertainment aspect goes, both men should be able and willing to hype the fight. Hopkins has more of a reputation as a trash-talker, but Calzaghe can be pretty quick with a quip too. He's already started, in fact, as the AP article quotes him saying about Hopkins, "I just hope he's not going to run."

Best of all, it's a fight that boxing fans - certainly those of us here at BoxingWatchers.com - want to see. Now HBO, can we please get the "24/7" treatment for this one?