JOE Calzaghe's last fight at the CIA was a punishing two-round destruction of top American Byron Mitchell and he is expecting his return there on Saturday to be equally explosive.

"It's going to be exactly the same with the same result with the difference that my opponent isn't going to put me on the floor this time," said Newbridge's WBO world super-middleweight champion Calzaghe got up off the canvass against Mitchell in June 2003 to stop him with a barrage of punches and is aiming for a similar barrage against Danish-based Kenyan Evans Ashira in his 17th title defence.

"The Mitchell fight had everything - speed, power and drama with me going on the floor for the first time in my career before getting up to win," said the world's longest-reigning champion.

"This fight won't be as dramatic as that because I've learned from my mistakes there and intend to make it easy for myself.

"I'll show off all my boxing skills, long jabs, uppercuts, fast combinations and beat him up before stopping him."

Reminded he was also floored by Egyptian Kabary Salem two defences ago and asked if this suggested he was no longer as good as he was, 33-year-old Calzaghe was quick to respond.

"Look, if the timing is right and you get caught on the point of the chin, it doesn't matter who you are, you're in trouble and that's what happened.

"I was square on, chin in the air, swinging and got caught with a perfect shot. But I showed my resilience, got up and boxed my way to victory.

"I've improved since then, become more concentrated, done more thinking in the gym and showed that in my last fight (a sixth-round stoppage of Mario Veit)."

Calzaghe said he was not thinking ahead to the proposed unification bout against American IBF champion Jeff Lacy at the ExCel Centre, London, in November, but said: "If I do box Lacy I'll have to show my boxing ability as well as my punching ability which is another reason that on Saturday you'll see my full array of skills.

"I've trained really hard for the fight, 100 rounds of sparring, and no matter what Ashira brings to the table he is going to get beat.

"I still feel I'm at the top of my game and hopefully in the next 16-24 months I can beat Lacy, become a two weight world champion and get out at the top."

Calzaghe was backed to beat Lacy by Brian Hughes, the Manchester-based manager of previous Lacy challenger Robin Reid as well as Gwent pair Gary Lockett and Tony Doherty, who have fights on Saturday's undercard.

"I think Joe will beat him quite easily. Lacy's not the fighter people think he is. It would not surprise me if Joe stopped him," said Hughes.

"The Robin Reid we saw against Lacy wasn't the Robin Reid we know."

Ashira himself would make no predictions about Saturday, but said: "Everyone's talking about Calzaghe versus Lacy but when the bell rings on Saturday night we'll see.

"I believe I can pull off a surprise. If I didn't think that I would have stayed at home with my kids."