Steve Collins seems to be winning his battle to secure a date for a showdown against the man rated the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, the World Boxing Council light-heavyweight champion, Roy Jones. At 33, the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) super-middleweight champion, Collins, realises that time is not on his side. Earlier this week he admitted he has no more than three or four fights left in him, and that he needs a big challenge to bring the best out of him.

After six successful defences of the crown he won from Chris Eubank in March 1995, Collins was ordered by the WBO to defend his title against the unbeaten Welshman Joe Calzaghe. But promoter Frank Warren, who was to have staged that fight, is prepared to change his plans.

He contacted Jones's handlers in America and is now waiting to see if the deal can be made. It depends whether or not the American cable television network, HBO can come up with a vacant date in late autumn or early winter, and if Jones is prepared to bring forward the date he wants for his next contest from January.

Warren explained: "The WBO have ordered that Collins fights Calzaghe by September 30th. Calzaghe would have to agree to step aside. And then we would need a date in October or November. We are now waiting to see what response comes back from HBO, but we have not yet agreed financial terms for either Jones or Collins. If HBO can come back with an early date, then there may be a possibility of doing it. If not he's got to fight Calzaghe."

This week Collins hired the help of publicist Max Clifford in a bid to improve his profile. If he could fight Jones and beat him, Clifford would be redundant.