IT IS a measure of Joe Calzaghe's complete dominance of the world super-middleweight division that he was able to retain his title at the CIA on Saturday virtually with one hand tied behind his back.

The longest reigning champion of all totally outclassed Kenyan challenger Evans Ashira to take every round on all the judges' scoresheets despite damaging his more powerful left hand in round three.

It is perhaps fortunate the 33-year-old Newbridge southpaw was up against a man two years older who was no more than a jumped up middleweight, but nevertheless to fight one-handed for threequarters of a contest and hardly have a glove laid on you is some achievement.

Had it not been for his injury, Calzaghe would surely have won inside the distance.

Ashira, beaten just once before in a WBA world middleweight title clash, shipped punishment from the opening bell and suffered a cut above his left eyelid from a clash of heads in round two.

With Calzaghe often doubling up with his rapier right jab and throwing powerful right and left hook combinations to both head and body Ashira could make no headway and by the end of round three looked totally bemused.

He appeared on the point of retirement and had his corner not managed to stem the flow of blood from his wound and had Calzaghe not suffered his injury, it's unlikely Ashira would have lasted much longer.

But from round five onwards Calzaghe slowed the pace and boxed with consummate skill, well within himself to pound out a convincing points success.

Ashira must have realised around the halfway stage that Calzaghe was no longer rocking him back with his big left hand, but he simply had nothing to offer.

He occasionally sneaked under Calzaghe's jab to get in close enough to land a small flurry of punches, but for a man with 13 knock-outs to his credit his blows carried absolutely no threat.

My fight notes contained line after line of Calzaghe action up to the end of round four but thereafter simply read 'same pattern with Calzaghe throwing countless jabs and boxing well within himself with Ashira offering nothing.'

By the end the bout had become almost like an exhibition and if it was a disappoitment for Calzaghe and an anti-climax for the fans, it had been, as Calzaghe's father Enzo said, a master class in the art of boxing.

Calzaghe has had numerous disappointments throughout his career, having to pull out of a proposed fight with then world light-heavyweight champion Glen Johnson through injury and negotiations failing over proposed fights with great champions Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones junior and Antonio Tarver as well as for a unification bout with once biggest super-middleweight rival Sven Ottke.

It is to be hoped his latest injury doesn't put an end to a fight with IBF champion Jeff Lacy for time is slowly running out on Calzaghe's dream of unifying the division and a career-defining fight for the light-heavyweight title before retiring a double world champion.