By Sean McDaniel: In the latest boxing news, former Commonwealth champion Nicky Piper thinks that Joe Calzaghe is making a mistake if he stages a comeback, according to Walesonline. Piper, speaking about Calzaghe, he says, “The only reasons Joe would want a rematch would be the money or his ego. But I think he would be a fool to do it. To risk his legacy would be crazy. He doesn’t need to fight. My personal opinion is that money is more important than a record. So, if he needed the money to provide for his family and safeguard his future, then I would completely understand the decision to make a comeback. But I don’t think Joe needs the money, so I don’t think he should be considering it at all.”

Who knows? Maybe Calzaghe does need money. Only he knows how much money he has, and he’s probably spent quite a bit of his nest egg since retiring from boxing two years ago. Calzaghe is reportedly interested in fighting a rematch with 45-year-old Hopkins, whom he defeated once already in a 12 round split decision in April 2008. You can’t blame Calzaghe for wanting to come back and get a nice payday against a fighter like Hopkins, especially since he’s already fought him and knows how to beat the 45-year-old American.

Hopkins doesn’t look to be fighting at the same level he was back in 2008, and appears to have deteriorated since fighting Calzaghe in 2008. Hopkins hasn’t looked good on offense in his last two fights against Enrique Ornelas and Roy Jones Jr. At this point, I think Calzaghe is less concerned about his record than he used to be. He seems more willing to take risks. If he does come back, it could only help him, because a lot of boxing fans think that his record is totally inflated, apart from his wins over Mikkel Kessler and Bernard Hopkins, arguably Calzaghe’s two biggest wins of his career.

Piper thinks that Calzaghe was struggling in the latter part of his career in fights against Jones, Hopkins and Kessler. I don’t think he was struggling because of age. I think it was more of a case of Calzaghe not being used to fighting good opponents. He was put in soft for a long stretch, so naturally when Calzaghe was put in with some really good fighters, he would struggle a little.

Piper thinks that Hopkins would beat Calzaghe in a rematch, saying “I think Joe would lose as well. Hopkins always takes care of himself and maintains his fitness, whereas Joe would be nowhere near the same fighter.”