World shrinking for Britain's champions

It used to be a big event when a British boxer went to America, now it happens almost every week. Joe Calzaghe is, of course, off to Las Vegas to face Bernard Hopkins on April 19, but another three of our world champion could find this week that they are heading Stateside too.
Clinton Woods, Junior Witter and Alex Arthur are on the verge of  huge fights and victory in them could set up even bigger matches closer to home.

Although it has not been confirmed yet, Woods, the IBF light-heavyweight champion from Sheffield, looks like he will be facing Antonio Tarver at the St Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida, on April 12.
Despite an incredibly successful twilight to his career, Woods has been rather sidelined of late. Regularly put up as an opponent for Calzaghe, it is his lack of profile in the US that has restricted him. Woods, 35, has made four successful defences of his world title, including a brilliant win over Glen Johnson, but the last time he was seen on television in the States was when he was easily beaten by Roy Jones Jr in 2002. In many ways, that loss, and the level Woods saw he had to reach to get to the top, was the making of him.
Landing Tarver is an excellent coup by his promoter, Dennis Hobson, who has been to and fro across the Atlantic for months trying to get a big name for his charge. Tarver, 39, has won two of three against Jones and was ranked the No 1 in the division when he lost to Hopkins in 2006, a performance that was probably hindered by his decision to play Mason Dixon opposite Sylvester Stallone in the movie Rocky Balboa.
Witter looks almost certain to be defending his WBC light-welterweight title against Demetrius Hopkins on March 22, with the Morongo Casino near Palm Springs, California, the likely location. The Bradford switch hitter will be going as the opponent, but will be a big favourite in my book. Hopkins's rather stand-up style is made for Witter, much in the same way as Vivian Harris's was.
What it will certainly prove, if he wins, is that US television (HBO in this case) are happy to screen him. Ricky Hatton's team have always claimed that it was the lack of interest from American TV that stopped a bout between them ever happening.
Witter has boxed in the US, knocking down Lovemore N'dou twice on the way to a points win in Los Angeles in 2005, but that fight did not make the HBO broadcast. He was screened on Showtime, however, on two Hatton undercards from Manchester when they were both with Frank Warren.
Meanwhile, Arthur will hear on Thursday what is to come of his bout with Joan Guzman, when a purse bid for the fight is held at the WBO's headquarters in Puerto Rico.
Arthur is the WBO interim super-featherweight champion, while Guzman is the full champion, having decided not to give up the title after more lucrative bouts failed to come off. If Warren, Arthur's promoter, wins the purse bid (Guzman is promoted by Golden boy so has plenty of backing himself), he intends to take it to Scotland, despite rumours claiming it would be on the Calzaghe-Hopkins bill.
That would leave Guzman with a dilemma. Having planned to go to Scotland to face Scott Harrison two years ago, only for it to be called off as Harrison's life fell apart, I don't think he would fancy a trip back.