NEW YORK (AP) -Joe Calzaghe is definitely watching tapes of Roy Jones Jr.
The rapid-fire puncher from Wales can't afford any early mistakes in his long-awaited light heavyweight fight against Jones on Nov. 8 at Madison Square Garden.
In April, Calzaghe hit the canvas just 70 seconds into the fight against Bernard Hopkins before winning by split decision.
``I didn't watch any tapes of Hopkins, and that may have been a mistake,'' Calzaghe said Tuesday at a news conference. ``I underestimated him.''
Calzaghe (45-0, 32 KOs) relinquished his WBC super middleweight title to face Jones in a fight nearly a decade in the making.
The bout on HBO pay-per-view came about only after the fighters got out of contracts with their promoters. Jones shed Don King and Calzaghe left Frank Warren to independently promote the event.
``We got them out of the way first in order to make this fight happen,'' Jones said.
Jones (52-4, 38 KOs) was criticized during the 1990s for refusing to leave the United States to fight. The flying-phobic Calzaghe finally made his way across the Atlantic for his American debut against Hopkins in Las Vegas last spring.
``There's been a lot of speculation, people talking about boxers dodging each other,'' said Jones' trainer Alton Merkerson said. ``When you get to the level of these two individuals, that comes into play.''
Neither boxer is in his prime, and the 39-year-old Jones hasn't had any serious competition in four years. In January, he defeated Felix Trinidad, who hadn't fought in nearly three.
Jones said he's looking to conserve energy against Calzaghe, who landed 33 percent of his 707 punches against Hopkins.
``I'm going to be in the best shape I can be,'' Jones said. ``I don't come to a fight to hold. Joe is going to throw enough punches to keep us both tired.''
The 36-year-old Calzaghe said he learned a valuable lesson from the Hopkins fight.
``Don't rush. I've always had that problem,'' he said. ``Roy's a good counter puncher and he expects me to throw a thousand punches.
``It's hard to fight a guy who holds. With Roy, I know he's going to fight. He's got great hand speed. It's going to be a treat.''
The fight was originally scheduled for Sept. 20, but Calzaghe sprained his right wrist in late July during training.
``My wrist is great,'' he said. ``It's completely healed.''
Calzaghe said his first fight at the Garden may be the last of his career.
``It's my last year and probably my last fight,'' said Calzaghe, who has remained unbeaten during a 15-year career. ``I'm not fighting at 40, that's for sure.''
Calzaghe likes to push fighters into the ropes, but Jones says he works off the ropes well.
``As you get older, you can't afford to outmaneuver guys in the ring as much,'' said Jones, an eight-time world champion. ``I'm smarter and more economical.''
Calzaghe plans to use his head as well.
``I can adapt during a fight,'' Calzaghe said. ``You can't get a sparring partner like Roy Jones. That's what makes this fight very intriguing. He'll be the quickest fighter I'll ever fight, and I'll be the quickest he'll ever face.''
They considered holding the event in Las Vegas, but Calzaghe was recently swayed by the mystique of the ``World's Most Famous Arena.''
``I walked into the arena and I just knew then, regardless of the money, I wanted to fight in the Garden,'' Calzaghe said. ``It's a legendary place, where all the great fighters have fought.''
