BBC Sport boxing

Las Vegas prepares to host the big fight with hordes of Joe Calzaghe fans in the city to support the Welshman in the United States

Calzaghe savours the cheers of his large army of fans as he enters the ring with a crackling atmosphere developing

Bernard Hopkins follows the British man into the ring with the hood of his gown obscuring his face as the big fight approaches

Welsh singer Tom Jones gives a rousing rendition of Land of My Fathers ahead of the fight

An awful start for the Welshman as a straight right hand from Hopkins floors Calzaghe for only the third time in his illustrious career

Calzaghe is able to get to his feet quickly but it's the worst possible start as Hopkins gains the early momentum

Hopkins dominates the opening rounds after flooring Calzaghe in the first but both boxers continue to keep it cagey

Among the celebrities at the fight was Catherine Zeta-Jones with the Wales flag wrapped around her

Calzaghe starts to relax as the fight progresses and lands some telling punches despite the intervention of referee Joe Cortez

The Welsh star begins to gain the upper hand as the fight draws to a close with Hopkins showing signs of tiredness

Calzaghe catches Hopkins just below the belt in the 10th round, forcing the American to take a few minutes to recover

The last couple of rounds in Vegas are frantic affairs with Calzaghe leading the attack as the main aggressor with Hopkins tiring

The scrappy fight is ultimately decided by the judges and Calzaghe galvanizes his reputation as he wins by split decision