The Welshman Joe Calzaghe yesterday predicted a short and not so sweet visit to Cardiff for Tarick Salmaci when the American attempts to take the WBO super middleweight crown back to Michigan on January 24th.
The 25-year-old Salmaci travels to the Cardiff International Arena for Frank Warren's show with a record of 16 wins - five by knockout - from 16 fights.
But that fails to impress Calzaghe, who has won all his 23 bouts - 21 inside the distance.
"I'll definitely knock him out inside three rounds," said Calzaghe. "He just doesn't have a chance. He may have a good record, he may be a good fighter and he may be a good boxer but I know that when I connect with my punches he will be down and out."
Newbridge-based Calzaghe took the vacant crown when he outpointed Chris Eubank at Sheffield on October 11th last year. It was the first time he had gone 12 rounds and, said Warren: "A lot of questions were answered during that fight.
"We now know that Joe can go the distance if he has to and, because he got a bit sloppy once or twice and got hit, we know he can take a punch. I'm confident he will win."
The same bill marks a longawaited return to action for WBO bantamweight champion Robbie Regan, who makes the first defence of his title against Colombia's Jorge Julio.
