Calzaghe offered Beyer unification bout

Tuesday, 14, Mar 2006 09:13

WBC super middleweight champion Markus Beyer has said that he wants to fight WBO and IBF champion Joe Calzaghe in a unification bout later this year.

Calzaghe unified the two titles when he comprehensively beat American Jeff Lacy on March 5th in Manchester.

The Welshman has said he wants to take a break before his next fight and the German insists he would like to face him later in the year.

"A fight against Calzaghe, with three titles at stake, is a tremendous challenge," Meyer said.

"Those unification fights are very attractive and it is one of my goals."

The 34-year old Beyer is due to make his next defence on May 13th but his promoter, Wilfrid Sauerland, believes this is too soon for his fighter to face Calzaghe.

Sauerland admitted that he had made contact with Calzaghe's promoter, Frank Warren, and he is hopeful of coming to a deal.

"We are very interested in this fight and are happy that England is interested as well," Sauerland said.

"Their current offer is not acceptable as it is not good enough financially and the date coincides with the football World Cup but we are in talks and would love to stage this attractive bout in either September or October."

Calzaghe has won all of his 41 bouts in his professional career, with 31 KOs, while Beyer boasts a record of 34 wins from 36 fights with 13 coming inside the distance.