Last weekend Joe Calzaghe was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame during a ceremony in New York that was attended by a packed audience of fans, officials and retired and current fighters. 

The honour is bestowed each year on fighters who’ve been retired five years or more and are selected to receive the honour, considered the most prestigious a fighter can receive to cement his legacy, by a panel of boxing historians and by the Boxing Writers Association of America. 

Needless to say only the very elite in the sport are inducted — world champions whose careers have been marked by distinction, such as Wales’ Joe Calzaghe, who retired undefeated in 46 fights over 15 years as a professional in what qualifies as an outstanding record of achievement.

It’s hard not to draw comparisons between Calzaghe and Carl Froch, another outstanding British super middleweight world champion, on the back of Froch’s superb victory over George Groves at Wembley in the biggest boxing event seen on these shores in generations. 

When he was close to the end of his career, Calzaghe had to put up with Froch’s goading and chiding, much as Froch received from George Groves in the lead-up to both their fights. 

Froch, much younger and much less recognised than today, did his utmost to call out the then super middleweight world champion. 

However, they never fought with Calzaghe understandably reluctant to get into the ring against a fighter who had yet to prove himself at the elite level.

Who would have won if they had fought? There is no doubt in my mind that a young Joe Calzaghe would have defeated a young Carl Froch, while an older Froch would defeat an older Calzaghe. 

Calzaghe in his prime I believe would have overcome Froch with his superior handspeed, movement and combination punching. 

He also had an engine to match Froch’s when he was in his pomp. On the other hand, as he approaches the end of his career, Froch reveals little if any evidence of decline, while Calzaghe, approaching the end of his, was plagued with injuries, particularly in his hands, which certainly told in his last few performances. 

No matter, it is one of the great “what ifs” in boxing, destined to do the rounds in pubs and workplaces for years to come. 

Being inducted into the Hall of Fame at the same ceremony as Calzaghe were Oscar De La Hoya, The Golden Boy himself and Felix “Tito” Trinidad, perhaps the greatest and most popular fighter ever to come out of Puerto Rico, though fans of Miguel Cotto may well argue over that one.

De La Hoya and Trinidad are living legends who between them have won multiple world titles at multiple weights. 

Their 1999 fight for the IBF welterweight title is one of the classic fights in boxing history, which Trinidad won by majority decision. 

Watching Calzaghe being inducted alongside them in New York last weekend, it is amazing to consider a journey that has taken him all the way from a small town in South Wales to the Boxing Hall of Fame in New York.