NEWBRIDGE'S Joe Calzaghe (pictured) took a giant step towards retaining his WBO super-middleweight belt last night - without swinging a single punch.

The Welshman claimed the psychological edge after American challenger Charles Brewer needed two attempts to make the 12-stone limit for tonight's eagerly-awaited title showdown at the Cardiff International Arena.

Brewer was one-and-a-quarter pounds overweight on his first visit to the scales while champ Calzaghe, who has had well-documented problems on the scales in the past, was a quarter of a pound lighter than necessary.

Calzaghe told The Argus: "This definitely gives me the psychological advantage after he failed to make the weight first time around.

"He looked drained, he looked dead and, yeah, I was a little shocked he didn't make it. As a professional, you're always struggling to make the weight.

"I've been an ounce or two over in the past but a pound is a lot. I had heard he was struggling and now he will be weak.

"It's an advantage for me but I was confident anyway."

Calzaghe is eager to reap revenge on Brewer in the ring after the former IBF champion from Philadelphia criticised the quality of the Welshman's opponents during his unbeaten 37-fight record.

"I don't think he's given me the respect I deserve," snarled Calzaghe who pointed out Brewer has lost eight times. "I will show him just how good I am in the ring.

"He's a typical American who has got an excuse for every time he has got beat.

"A champion is someone who comes though a crisis. I broke my hand against Robin Reid and I got through it.

"All this just makes me more determined and I'm going to knock him out."

Meanwhile, Brewer insisted he had never had problems with the weight before and blamed faulty scales.

Nevertheless after two hours of sweating off the excess, he weighed in again at 11st 13lbs 10oz.

Had he failed again, the bout would have gone ahead as a non-title contest.

Brewer said: "I stepped on the exact same scales this morning and I was just one pound over.

"The scales are taken from my room to the weigh-in and all of a sudden I'm almost two pounds heavier."

Calzaghe knows the importance of impressing the American audience in what promises to be his most important and arguably his toughest title defence to date.

The Welshman will take a giant stride down his intended path from Newbridge to New York if he blunts 'The Hatchet' in front of the Showtime television cameras.

"It would be nice to go to America and unify my title," he said.