updated 8:16 p.m. ET Feb. 19, 2008

NEW YORK - Bernard Hopkins isn’t going to apologize to anybody.

Not to all those fighters from the U.K. who he claims are inferior to their counterparts from the United States. And certainly not for making that racially tinged comment toward Joe Calzaghe when the two famously stepped toe-to-toe last December in Las Vegas.

“It’s his job to prove I was wrong,” Hopkins said, “and I’m going to prove I was right.”

The cagey American takes on the unbeaten Welshman in a much-anticipated light-heavyweight bout April 19 in Las Vegas, the site of their first explosive confrontation. That was when Hopkins and Calzaghe traded barbs in the press room and again on the weigh-in stage for Floyd Mayweather’s fight against Britain’s Ricky Hatton.

Hopkins provided the last word, saying “I will never let a white boy beat me. Never.”

During a press conference at Planet Hollywood on Tuesday, the longtime middleweight champion cut off a reporter who was about to ask Hopkins to elaborate on the remark.

“To stay competitive, I have to be a person that some people won’t like. If I take that away from me, then I’m not being me. Trust me, I mean every damn thing I say,” said Hopkins, whose string of 20 title defenses was interrupted by a pair of close losses to Jermain Taylor in 2005.

“See, that’s the scary part to some. This ain’t a promotion. I mean everything I say.”

Calzaghe, who’s defended the super-middleweight title 21 times over the past decade, mostly laughed off the insults lobbed by the American.

He considers them mind games — merely another way for the unorthodox counterpuncher to throw the Pride of Wales off his game.

“Was I offended? No, I laughed,” said Calzaghe, who’s coming off a stirring unanimous decision over Mikkel Kessler, by far his most decorated opponent, that unified the 168-pound division. “I don’t care if it’s a black guy, white guy, green guy, any colored guy, I’m not going to lose. So if he feels he has to make that comment, that’s up to him.”

British promoter Frank Warren tried to diffuse the situation, saying Hopkins’ comment wasn’t malicious and that the fight shouldn’t turn into a “white-black conversation.”

A friendly rivalry between nations, though, is not out of bounds.

Calzaghe (44-0) has a massive following in Europe but doesn’t have the selling power of Hopkins, mainly because he’s never fought in the U.S.

While The Executioner (48-4 with one draw) was busy building an impressive resume littered with the likes of Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya and Roy Jones Jr., Calzaghe was defending his title against relative unknowns: Omar Sheika, Tocker Pudwill and Kabary Salem.

It’s another thorn Hopkins eagerly uses to needle his opponent.

“Even the basketball players go over there when they can’t make it here,” Hopkins said, describing the competition in Europe. “This country sanctions who’s the best.”

Not even Calzaghe is willing to dispute that, which is precisely the reason he’s been trying to make it stateside for years.

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Warren said a deal was in place six or seven years ago for the two to fight, but Hopkins and his people made financial demands at the last minute that were simply not feasible. Calzaghe also contacted Jones, but that fight was never very close.

“It would be easy to stay home and fight in Wales, get an extra three or four defenses,” said Calzaghe, mentioning the allure of eclipsing the great Joe Louis’s record of 25 successful title defenses. “I have to look at bigger goals. I want to fight for legacies.”

Both fighters shrugged off age being a factor; Hopkins is 43 and Calzaghe will be 36 by the time of the fight. Nor did they dwell on their far different styles.

Hopkins is very measured in his approach, slowly picking his way through an opponent. That’s one of the reasons his last five fights, including a pair of surprising wins over Ronald “Winky” Wright and Antonio Tarver at 175 pounds, have gone to the judges.

Calzaghe often unfurls more than 100 punches in a round, and after struggling to make the 168-pound limit for his past few fights, believes he’ll be stronger moving up in class.

“Joe has been a consistent champion and I respect his accomplishments and his father and trainer,” said Nazim Richardson, one of Hopkins’ trainers. “I look forward to working out the game plan that me and Hopkins are going to put together.”

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