By Steffan Garrero
BBC Sport in New York |
  Jones and Calzaghe have set the media bandwagon rolling in NY |
Office workers are trudging home along the Brooklyn Bridge after a sweltering day in a city drenched in September sun. A man in black shorts and a red t-shirt is dodging in and out of commuters as he runs from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Two helicopters circle the bridge - the man in red firmly, and constantly, in their sights. His name is Joe Calzaghe. He's spent the past three days trying to get each and every one of the New Yorkers he's currently side-stepping to buy a ticket to his fight or subscribe to the TV channel which is showing it. He's been in and out of radio stations, done countless TV interviews and pressed the flesh with every boxing writer in the Big Apple as he and his opponent Roy Jones Jr try to drum up as much interest as possible for their 8 November fight.  | 606: DEBATE |
The shoot on Brooklyn Bridge is part of a promo from US TV network HBO for the fight. Somewhere on a rooftop in downtown Manhattan Jones is currently "jumping rope" for his half of the ad. Rewind the clock four years and Calzaghe is fighting Mger Mkrtchian at the ice rink in Cardiff. The "Rumble with the Mumble" generates no interest outside of the UK - there is no press tour of the States to promote this one. He's been world champion for seven years - but Joe Calzaghe is an unknown to the USA. | This trip to New York has been one of the best pieces of self promotion Joe has undertaken in his entire career |
He's matured since those days. He understands the "media game" a little better now and knows he has to take to the road and meet journos face to face in America if he's to maximise the impact of this fight. To maximise the impact on his reputation and impact on his finances. "It's simple math", as they say over here. The more your face is out there, the more likely it is that you'll make more money from a fight. This is a relaxed Calzaghe - not the "Stay at home Joe" the Americans have been quick to criticise in the past. Yes, it took him 10 years to come to America, but now that he's taken the plunge he's not about to do it in a half-hearted manner. He's sometimes shy with the media and always scared of flying, but those concerns have taken a back seat during this trip. He takes radio interviews in his stride and one station clearly proved an eye opener when host Angela Yee swore live on air - much to Calzaghe's entertainment. "You can't do that back home, this is great!" he says before providing a few swear words of his own.  Jones and Calzaghe clash at Madison Square Garden |
The child-like glee in his eyes tells you that he's actually enjoying this 8.30 am studio appointment two blocks up from Times Square. And while his delight at chucking out a few "cuss words" obviously entertains all of us in the studio, the point made by Yee - that there had been no trash-talking between Calzaghe and Jones - is a serious one. The two boxing greats have been "working" this city together. They've been sat next to one another on TV shows and spoken to the writers at ESPN magazine for an hour as a comedy double act. Each throwing out self-effacing lines about their age and entertainingly arrogant statements about their good looks. Is it all a little too friendly? Can you truly try to knock out a man you regularly speak to on the phone? The two have been in contact since Calzaghe's win over Bernard Hopkins in April. Jones was ringside that night for BBC Radio Wales (who's gonna fill those shoes this time?!). "I'm gonna fight Joe in November, 50-50 split, plain and simple," he said then, and he's stuck to his word. There are no promoters involved, but this trip to New York has been one of the best pieces of self promotion Joe has undertaken in his entire career.
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