JOE CALZAGHE believes he is in a different league to American Bernard Hopkins, dismissing his opponent as a "fake and a phoney".

Calzaghe, 36, conducted an open workout at the Planet Hollywood Hotel, as did Hopkins.

Calzaghe was once again in ebullient form, insisting he will punish Hopkins, 43, who continues to play the role of pantomime villain.

Excitement levels for the fight are ever increasing here in Vegas and none other than Duke McKenzie told me yesterday that the build up to Saturday's Battle of the Planets is becoming more and more like a scene from Rocky.

"Joe and his dad seem blown away by Vegas, it's like watching Rocky Balboa and Burgess Meredith," McKenzie joked.

A large crowd turned up to watch the two fighters and once again it was a partisan Calzaghe crowd.

However, although Calzaghe seems to be enjoying the spotlight more than ever before, he insists he'll be all business come fight night.

He explained: "I've got to go in there and use my speed and fight with intelligence and as long as I do that it's no problem. I'm not worried about getting wound up or what he says.

"At the end of the day stick a Hopkins tape in and watch him fight and you'll realise I don't have to worry about him.

"As far as I'm concerned I've fought better fighters, faster fighters, harder punchers, this guy's the oldest guy I've boxed, he isn't the best guy I've boxed.

"I'll just go in there and fight the way I fight any other fighter. Hopkins will need a respirator if he tries to stay the pace with me for three rounds.

"I am a fighter and a champion. I don't call myself a legend, I don't need to isolate myself from the world before a fight, acting like the Caped Crusader, coming to the ring as the Executioner with a stupid hat on. What the hell is that? Hopkins is nothing but a phoney and I will end his career on Saturday."

Calzaghe admits he will need to be on top of his game to win the fight in the US, but has dismissed fears that referee Joe Cortez - who officiated the Floyd Mayweather versus Ricky Hatton fight - will be anything other than impartial.

"If this fight was in Wales it's not a contest, the challenge is to come over here with American judges.Hopkins is a Golden Boy fighter and you know the score, so he's going to probably do things to stop me fighting my fight, try to lull me into a messy fight like Sakio Bika for instance, that's the only thing I can see him doing.

"I've got to go in there and use my speed and fight with intelligence and as long as I do that it's no problem."

Calzaghe has urged his supporters not to boo the US national anthem on fight night - the anthems WILL be used and Tom Jones will sing for Wales.

"It'll do me no favours with an American referee and American judges if my fans boo their anthem, at the end of the day it is unnecessary and hopefully won't happen."