By Scoop Malinowski

Middleweight boxer Gary Lockett, who trains in the same gym with Joe Calzaghe, believes his mate will have too much smarts for The Executioner on Saturday night. “I think Calzaghe will be too busy,” says Lockett. “I think he’ll be too young and too busy.” I asked Lockett if he is aware of the war of words between the two who have been battling it out over the Internet for the past two months where Joe has quite clearly out-pointed the vaunted verbalizer Hopkins. “I think you’ve got to be very careful when you argue with someone who’s more intelligent than you. It’s the same as a liar. When you’re a liar you’ve got to have a fantastic memory. Otherwise you end up cashing yourself out, by contradicting yourself.”

For one example, about a month ago Hopkins boasted confidently in a press release about assembling his dream team of trainers - Freddie Roach, Nazzim Richardson, Mackie Shilstone and southpaw guru John David Jackson. The very next day, Calzaghe replied with one quick counter - that he only needed his father to help get him ready.

“There are a couple of little insights for you,” confided Lockett, who will meet Middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik in July. “Joe - he’s more intelligent than Bernard, that’s for sure. When Bernard speaks he doesn’t get straight to the point does he? He goes around and around and around and then he gets to the point. But with Joe I think he’s not the kind of guy that’s gonna try to belittle opponents. But when someone does it to him I think he’s got the answers ready.”

Some ring observers feel Calzaghe, the betting favorite by about 2.5-1 has established the mental edge over Hopkins. With that said, Does Lockett think there’s any way Joe can lose this fight. “Of course there is. Hopkins is a world class fighter. He can back off and nullify his advantages, mug him, as we say. But I can’t really see that happening. Joe’s too professional and too young and just throws too many punches.”