Calzaghe's date with Hopkins confirmed

Joe Calzaghe will spark another British boxing invasion of Las Vegas when he takes on Bernard Hopkins in the city on April 19.

The undefeated Calzaghe is looking to start what could be his final year in the sport with a victory over the 43-year-old American Hopkins, and in doing so prove that he can thrive outside his native Wales. Calzaghe has only twice fought outside of the UK previously in his 44-bout career, beating Mario Veit in Germany in 2005 and Will McIntyre in Copenhagen in 2001.

It will be a non-title light-heavyweight bout but, while no belt will be at stake, Calzaghe is hoping for support on the scale of Ricky Hatton's encounter with Floyd Mayweather last year when an estimated 25,000 Britons trekked to Nevada.

A win would propel the 35-year-old Calzaghe, who unified the super-middleweight division with victory over Mikkel Kessler in 2007, into a possible career finale against Roy Jones Jr or Jermain Taylor.

For that to happen he would first have to take care of Hopkins, who has claimed he would "never lose to a white man". Hopkins, who has fought at middleweight for much of his career and was undisputed middleweight champion between 2004 and 2005, beat Ronald 'Winky' Wright last year and Antonio Tarver in 2006 - both four-time world champions - in his only fights since back-to-back defeats against Taylor in 2005.

Confirmation that the fight will take place on April 19 at the Thomas Mack Center in Las Vegas came at today's press conference at London's Planet Hollywood, attended by Calzaghe and the promoter Frank Warren.