The Welshman successfully defended his World Boxing Organisation super-middleweight title for the 10th time last month, winning an overwhelming points decision against American Charles Brewer.

With the other world title holders in Calzaghe's 12-stone division reluctant to step into the ring with him, he has been forced to set his sights elsewhere.

Middleweight champion Hopkins is top of the wanted list, with a big-money fight - possibly in front of 40,000 fans at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium - looking ever more likely.

Hopkins revealed that he and his promoter, Don King, are in talks with television company Showtime - who screen Calzaghe's fights.

Calzaghe set out to make himself an attractive proposition to the American boxing public and largely won them over during his gruelling televised 12-rounder against Brewer.

"Right now I'm negotiating along with Don King and Jay Larkin of Showtime," Hopkins told maxboxing.com.

"We're talking to him about two fights, maybe my mandatory defence too, which makes it a three-fight deal.

"It would be the mandatory, Harry Simon and Joe Calzaghe."

Hopkins holds all but one version of the world title in the middleweight division, and only undefeated Namibian Simon stands between the American and his goal of unifying the titles.

Simon, who like Calzaghe is promoted by Frank Warren, claimed the WBO crown in Copenhagen last month with a victory over Armand Krajnc.