Calzaghe: Lacy victory is history 

Joe Calzaghe has banished memories of his greatest night as he prepares to defend his IBF and WBO super-middleweight titles against Sakio Bika in Manchester on Saturday.

The 34-year-old Welshman returns to the ring for the first time since his sensational March victory over Jeff Lacy.

Calzaghe's success shunted him up the pound-for-pound rankings, earned him a lucrative deal with American cable giants Home Box Office, and turned him into a true global boxing icon.

But he insists it is time to stop re-living the Lacy win and instead concentrate on a future, which he hopes will lead to future super-fights before he finally hangs up his gloves.

Calzaghe said: 'I could not have written a better script, to fight the best fight of my life on the biggest night of my life, but there are other things to be done and Lacy is in the past now.

'We have all got to get over the Lacy thing. I have got a big fight next Saturday, and in boxing you are only as good as your last fight. So actually, Lacy is already forgotten.'

Calzaghe has proved a master at remaining focused for so-called lesser tests during his phenomenal reign as champion stretching back 18 defences to the night he beat Chris Eubank for the title in 1997.

And while Bika certainly does not arrive on these shores with the hype afforded America's next big thing Lacy, he boasts a strong enough record to persuade Calzaghe not to change his winning habits.

Calzaghe added: 'One of my strengths is that I don't look beyond any fight. It doesn't matter who is in the opposite corner to me, I always respect every opponent.

'I realise anybody can be beaten, including myself, so I train like a challenger instead of a champion. If you let your guard down for one second that is when you get beaten - and I don't want to get beaten.'

Calzaghe still has big plans including a possible unification showdown with the winner of Saturday's WBC and WBA title clash between Mikkel Kessler and Markus Beyer in Copenhagen.

A dominant performance in particular from Kessler, who has won all 37 of his professional fights, would make the clash a realistic possibility for next year.

Calzaghe added: 'It would be nice to win another title. Kessler is the second best super-middleweight in the world and I fancy him to beat Beyer quite convincingly.

'But it is a big struggle to make the weight and I have always said it is my ambition to become a two-weight world champion. It could be the opportunity to step up to light-heavyweight.'