NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bernard Hopkins expects to fight British world super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe in Las Vegas in April with the contract to be signed next week.
Calzaghe challenged the American after adding the WBC and WBA belts to the WBO crown he already held with a unanimous decision over Dane Mikkel Kessler last November.
"I believe the date (is) the 11th or the 12 of April," Hopkins told the Boxing Talk Web site (www.boxingtalk.com) on Friday.
"I know I'm just looking to make it happen. I don't believe anything is signed yet. I got a letter from Arnold Joseph and Richard Schaeffer (CEO of Golden Boy Promotions) saying that we have an oral agreement.
"Oral agreements have stood up for the last five years of my career. They expressed to me that we have a deal and I'm expecting an official confirmation on that no later than Monday.
"I'm expecting things to be wrapped up the middle of next week the latest."
Hopkins, who successfully defended the world middleweight title 20 times, has said taking on Calzaghe could be one of his crowning moments.
"Out of all the things I have accomplished in my career, that would be super-duper, a profound testimony to the legacy that I will leave behind," he told reporters two months ago.
"I will be 43 years old for a fight of that magnitude against a (Welshman) that's dominated for many years with an undefeated record," Hopkins said, adding with a grin, "who happens to be a southpaw, which I love".
Hopkins, nicknamed "The Executioner", has a career record of 48 wins, four defeats and one draw.
Calzaghe, 35, is the longest reigning title-holder in any weight class and is unbeaten in 44 fights, 32 of them by knockout.
Calzaghe challenged the American after adding the WBC and WBA belts to the WBO crown he already held with a unanimous decision over Dane Mikkel Kessler last November.
"I believe the date (is) the 11th or the 12 of April," Hopkins told the Boxing Talk Web site (www.boxingtalk.com) on Friday.
"I know I'm just looking to make it happen. I don't believe anything is signed yet. I got a letter from Arnold Joseph and Richard Schaeffer (CEO of Golden Boy Promotions) saying that we have an oral agreement.
"Oral agreements have stood up for the last five years of my career. They expressed to me that we have a deal and I'm expecting an official confirmation on that no later than Monday.
"I'm expecting things to be wrapped up the middle of next week the latest."
Hopkins, who successfully defended the world middleweight title 20 times, has said taking on Calzaghe could be one of his crowning moments.
"Out of all the things I have accomplished in my career, that would be super-duper, a profound testimony to the legacy that I will leave behind," he told reporters two months ago.
"I will be 43 years old for a fight of that magnitude against a (Welshman) that's dominated for many years with an undefeated record," Hopkins said, adding with a grin, "who happens to be a southpaw, which I love".
Hopkins, nicknamed "The Executioner", has a career record of 48 wins, four defeats and one draw.
Calzaghe, 35, is the longest reigning title-holder in any weight class and is unbeaten in 44 fights, 32 of them by knockout.
