Madison Square Garden is adorned with reflections of past momentous occasions from Sinatra to Ali-Frazier and Joe Calzaghe wants to etch his own legacy into the heart of this iconic arena.

Tonight the Welshman places his unbeaten record on the line against a man who at his peak played a basketball match in the afternoon and then successfully defended his undisputed world lightheavyweight title later that night.

Roy Jones knows that his boxing credentials are gold plated but Calzaghe still feels the need to prove himself.

Here-in seems to lie the only danger of Calzaghe failing to emulate Rocky Marciano by ending his career without a blemish and showing the American public his right to be regarded as an all-time great.

Dad Enzo revealed that "he's feeling so relaxed because this has been his dream.

Fighting at Madison Square Garden and against Roy Jones. Joe went after this fight."

The last time Calzaghe was in such a relaxed frame of mind he nearly came unstuck against Saiko Bika, seven months after the high of his great triumph over Jeff Lacy.

"I've not had the eye of the tiger feeling I had for Lacy" he would later reveal.

Bika managed to roughhouse and cut him in a scrappy affair while last time out Bernard Hopkins almost had him away early on before making life awkward for 12 rounds as he made Britain's number one fighter to come out of his comfort zone and force the fight.

Jones may not be the fighter of five years ago but he remains as smart a technician as ever and it would be foolish to believe that at some point his cunning and craft will not test Calzaghe's resistance.

Until now Calzaghe has always found a way to win despite flirting with danger and regular hand problems. There seems no logical reason to doubt him now.

Yet, you cannot help feeling that the build-up to this signature battle - 'The Battle of the Superpowers' - has been too cosy, too comfortable and that Calzaghe was a meaner, sharper athlete at super-middleweight.

Calzaghe's eyes are also a on retirement and putting these factors all together you can see why the Jones camp believe the door is open, if ever so slightly, to an upset.

But Calzaghe is adamant that he has all the bases covered and the Garden stage will belong to him.

"I have to be as hungry for this as my first world title fight because I know so much depends on it," he says.

"It's about creating history, I want to be one of the very few fighters in boxing to come out undefeated.

"I know this will be my last fight but I can't think about that. Boxing is not a sport where you can wind down, if I'm not at my best I'll get punished.

"I know what is at stake when I face Jones and all of this retirement talk is dangerous because I still have a job to do.

"When I stick that gumshield in my mouth and they ring the bell it's all about pride. I have a ferocious will not to get beaten."