THE Joe Calzaghe legend just gets bigger and bigger.

Our undefeated double world champion went into the lion's den this weekend and came out victorious, despite enormous odds.

Not only was he fighting one of the all-time greats in Bernard Hopkins, who may have lost some speed but his skill and experience more than made up for that.

Not only was he coping with the rigours of an eight-hour time difference, different food and drink and a totally different climate in Las Vegas.

Not only did he have to persuade all American judges to give him the verdict - a notoriously difficult thing to do in close contests.

But he had to climb up off the canvas and overcome a dreadful start to finally emerge triumphant.

If this was not Joe's classiest performance it must have been his bravest.

Only a competitor with the greatest possible strength of character could have made such a wonderful comeback to snatch victory from a seemingly hopeless position.

Once again Joe has reinforced his claim to be Wales' greatest ever boxer and possibly the greatest ever in the UK.

We don't know what the future holds for our champion - there is talk of a final fight against another star in Roy Jones which would earn him megabucks.

It is to be hoped that Joe's finale, if that is what it is, will take place before his adoring Welsh fans in a packed Millennium Stadium.

Much of his career has been spent fighting on pay-per-view satellite TV stations and the Welsh public should now be put ahead of financial considerations with a sell-out crowd in Cardiff and a freeview channel carrying the fight live in this country.

We also want to see Calzaghe honoured by his own country, with a victory parade in an open-top bus through the streets of Cardiff, Newport and Newbridge ending with a suitable honour, such as a knighthood conferred by the Prince of Wales.

That is, of course, unlikely to happen all at once, but never has there been a more deserving cause.