FORMER world featherweight champion Steve Robinson was full of praise for Joe Calzaghe's performance but doesn't feel it would be fair to single him out as the best fighter Wales has ever produced.

Cardiff's Robinson, known as the Cinderella Man during his 51-fight career, feels it would do disservice to a number of other great Welsh fighters to put Calzaghe out on his own.

He said: "I think Joe is up there as one of the best fighters in the world right now and I'd put him up there as one of the best Welsh boxers of all time, but I think it's a bit much to say that he is the best.

"There have been a number of great fighters through the years, the likes of Jimmy Wilde, Howard Winstone and Jim Driscoll among others, and it's hard to compare.

"I don't think his division is as tough as some others at the moment and I think the only challenge now would be if he went for a different weight, then we would be able to see how good he is.

"But I thought it was a great performance, he was just too quick. He outboxed Lacy and I didn't think it would be that easy.

"I was disappointed in Lacy, who was too one-dimensional, but Joe didn't give him a chance and I take my hat off to him - he was superb."

Prominent Gwent boxing coach Tony Borg was more gushing in his praise of Calzaghe and put him alongside some of the biggest names of world boxing, let alone Welsh boxing.

He said: "I thought it was amazing. I think that fight put Joe up there with Leonard and Ali - it was that dominant a performance and I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that.

"People have criticised Joe in the past but that was a vintage performance. His hand speed, his coordination, his accuracy, it was all superb. I was up there for the fight and it was worth every penny."