Joe Calzaghe told setantasports.com that Herol Graham would have given him a harder fight than a peak Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn, Michael Watson or Steve Collins, though is in no doubt that he would beaten them all.
The question is often pondered by boxing fans how Calzaghe would have got on against the prominent British and Irish middleweights/super middleweights in the era before he became world champion in 1997.
After Collins retired rather than face him, Calzaghe first won the vacant WBO super middleweight title when he beat Eubank on points.
Calzaghe bristles at the suggestion that Eubank would have given him a harder fight if he had fought him years earlier - suggesting the fact that the Brighton boxer was motivated against him made him more dangerous than during his own lengthy WBO super middleweight title reign.
"I honestly think I faced a lot more dangerous a Chris Eubank, than the Eubank who fought Dan Sherry or [Ray] Close," Calzaghe told setantasports.com.
"Why? Because Eubank wasn't motivated. Eubank was dangerous when he fought Watson and dangerous when he fought Benn.

"When he was the underdog when his back was against the wall he was a different animal.
"When I fought him that time, people talk about him having problems making super middleweight but I've lost 14 pounds in a week to make the weight.
"We've all done that. He was a dangerous fighter, he gave me one hell of a fight, but people didn't give me the credit, they gave him the credit for coming back.
"That was my first 12 round fight. I'd done eight rounds twice and knocked everyone else out inside three, so on that aspect I don't think much would have been different if I'd fought Eubank [at his peak].
"Don't forget I'm a lot better fighter now when I fought Eubank."
As for Benn and Collins, the Pride of Wales believes neither would have been able to deal with the speed coming at them from a southpaw stance.
"If I fought Benn, obviously he was a dangerous puncher but I think he'd have had a nightmare with my style," Calzaghe said. "The same with Collins."
"It would have been a difficult fight, but I'd have beat him. I'd have beat them all."
'Bomber' Graham lost a WBA middleweight world title tilt on a majority decision to the legendary Mike McCallum in 1989, then 18 months later when fighting for the WBC belt was stopped by the mother of all sucker punches by Julian Jackson. Then at the age of 38, against Charles Brewer when challenging for the IBF super middleweight crown in 1998 after having the American on the floor twice he was stopped in the tenth round.
Four years later Brewer would give Calzaghe a tough night and the Welshman admits that at his peak Graham would have been one of his toughest fights, but believes his winning mentality would have ensured he finished victorious.
"Herol Graham was awkward," Calzaghe admitted. "He'd probably have been the most awkward of all of them.
"At the end of the day, when push came to shove he lost and that's the difference between a great champion, to have your back against the wall and find a way to win.
"Maybe I'd have had a difficult time but I would have found a way to win."