Joe Calzaghe retired with a record of 46-0, beating the likes of Bernard Hopkins and a faded Roy Jones Jr, but admits he may not have had the same success against a fellow Hall of Famer.
The unbeaten Welsh icon became world super-middleweight champion by defeating Chris Eubank in 1997, before making 21 defences of his WBO title.
Along the way, Calzaghe unified his division with notable victories over Jeff Lacy and Mikkel Kessler, utilising his tricky southpaw style to outpoint the two previously undefeated champions.
A move up to 175lbs then saw him edge a split decision against Hopkins, just under seven months before defeating Jones and, in turn, calling time on his glittering career.
But while Calzaghe never encountered any fighter, at least in the professional ranks, that got the better of him, many believe that a prime Andre Ward would have potentially had his number.
Like Calzaghe, Ward retired with an unblemished record after having made his mark on the super-middleweight and light-heavyweight divisions.
Dominant victories over the likes of Kessler, Carl Froch, Arthur Abraham and Chad Dawson cemented his legacy at 168lbs, before the American twice fought Sergey Kovalev at 175lbs.
And so, because of their equally decorated careers, a fantasy fight between Ward and Calzaghe is often debated among boxing aficionados.
Speaking with his hypothetical rival on the ALL THE SMOKE FIGHT YouTube channel, Calzaghe initially attempted to make a case for himself.
“I’m a southpaw, I’m awkward, I’ve got a good chin… I’m just an awkward f***ing fight, man. I give everybody a nightmare [in his prime].”
Ward, in response, admitted that the relentless approach of Calzaghe would have likely caused him problems.
“I wouldn’t have appreciated the work rate. It’s hard to deal with that.”
In the end, Calzaghe proposed to call it a draw, which Ward seemed happy enough to shake his hand on.
“I tell you what, brother, let’s just say it would be a draw.”
Whether at 168lbs or 175lbs, a fantasy fight between Ward and Calzaghe seems virtually impossible to call.
