The two biggest names in British boxing, Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton, will travel to the United States for their next contests, raising the possibility that neither will box in Great Britain again.

Calzaghe's meeting with Roy Jones Jr, a four-weight world champion, is likely to be confirmed this week for September 20. Jones had spoken of his desire to box in front of more than 50,000, a crowd that could really only be achieved at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. But the deal, which was negotiated privately between Calzaghe, Jones and HBO, the American cable television giant, would be for the bout to take place in the US.

Jones has won world titles from middleweight to heavyweight, but many consider him to be on the downward slope at 39, despite winning his past three bouts. But HBO had a big hole to plug in its schedules after Floyd Mayweather Jr retired, scrapping his planned rematch with Oscar De La Hoya that had been scheduled for that date, and both Jones and Calzaghe are certain future hall-of-fame members.

It is likely to be the final bout in Calzaghe's illustrious career. The 36-year-old is not only the world's longest reigning world champion - his time as WBO super-middleweight title-holder stands at nearly 11 years - but he has the longest winning run - 45 bouts - of any boxer in the world. The only belt on the line will be Calzaghe's world light-heavyweight title as recognised by The Ring magazine, which he won in April by beating Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas.

Hatton will return to the scene of his only defeat when he faces Paulie Malignaggi, the IBF light-welterweight champion, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on November 15 or 22.

It was at the MGM Grand in December last year that Hatton suffered the only loss of his career when he was knocked out in ten rounds by Mayweather. It had been Hatton's long-stated wish that he would face Malignaggi at Madison Square Garden in New York, Malignaggi's home city and an iconic venue.

But money talks and after upwards of 30,000 Britons flooded into Las Vegas for Hatton's bout with Mayweather, there were no shortage of resorts in the gambling mecca keen to pay a substantial site fee to stage his next US bout. Hatton has spoken of his desire to face Manny Pacquiao, who won the WBC lightweight title, in a career finale at Wembley Stadium next summer, but Malignaggi remains a substantial obstacle to those plans.

Kendall Holt moved himself into the queue as a possible future opponent for Hatton when he won the WBO light-welterweight title in Las Vegas in the early hours of yesterday in a sensational bout. Holt, from the US, was knocked down twice by Ricardo Torres, the champion, but fired back to knock out Torres - all in just 61 seconds of the first round.

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