Joe Calzaghe is plotting a path to world domination via his local supermarket as the hours tick down towards his world super-middleweight title unification clash with Mikkel Kessler in Cardiff tomorrow morning.

Having endured his customary struggle to boil down to the 12-stone limit, it is hardly surprising that the Welshman's hunger is for far more than the win which will establish him as one of the finest fighters of this and any other era.

Never mind those mythical pound-for-pound lists and endless pub arguments about the size of Calzaghe's achievements in comparison to all the other Britons who have laced on gloves. Calzaghe has other things on his mind.

''Forget about the fight. All I care about is my fridge,'' Calzaghe joked. ''Cakes, chocolates, sweets, pies - at this stage the only thing that matters is what you can eat out of your fridge.

''I'll go to Asda then I'll go home and eat everything. I don't think it matters what you eat at this point. I eat anything I want, all churned up together. It's pretty disgusting. And I can't wait to have a pint of Guinness on Sunday.''

Over his decade-long reign as champion, Calzaghe has proved that his fight to make the weight has been more of a tiresome chore than a severe weight-loss programme which has had much negative impact on his performance.

Despite his desire for sustenance, he has looked as fit and relaxed as ever in the build-up to the biggest fight of his career against the unbeaten Kessler, who will put his WBA and WBC titles on the line against Calzaghe's WBO version.

The fact that Calzaghe will revert partially to the role of challenger for this contest for only the second time since he won his belt from Chris Eubank - he wrested the IBF version from Jeff Lacy last year - is where his real hunger lies.

''People think I haven't got the hunger for this fight but believe me you have to got to have tremendous hunger to be able to train like I've trained because this is only my second unification fight.

''It's great fighting someone else who has other belts because I've got so much to gain from winning this fight.

"What I want to do is to retire undefeated and I know this is going to be my toughest challenge yet.''

Calzaghe is keen to shrug off the historical and pound-for-pound comparisons which will inevitably move into overdrive should he claim his 44th professional win in style at the Millennium Stadium.

He has always been something of a reluctant celebrity, preferring to lead a quiet life in south Wales.

''I've had a brilliant 12-week camp,'' he said, before correcting himself: ''Actually, it's not really a camp. I just stay at home.''

Even the prospect of a European indoor record of over 50,000 fans at the Millennium Stadium and prime-time television exposure in the United States cannot bring out any rabid ambition which must lurk somewhere deep inside.

''Those things don't drive me,'' added Calzaghe. ''Everybody is entitled to their own opinion and what people think doesn't bother me either way, whether they have good or bad things to say.

''I know what I've achieved in my career is phenomenal. It's amazing that I've been here 10 years since beating Chris Eubank, and I probably should have had 30 defences, not 20, because of my hand injuries.

''As you get more mature and get more big fights you get more comfortable and more relaxed. I been through the mill before.

"I've been in this kind of atmosphere many times before and believe me it is a big deal. Kessler hasn't.''