LONDON (AFP) - Welsh boxer Joe Calzaghe was on Sunday named the BBCs Sports Personality of the Year beating racing driver Lewis Hamilton and fellow fighter Ricky Hatton into second and third place respectively.
The 35-year-old Calzaghe unified the super-middleweight division with a unanimous points victory over Denmarks Mikkel Kessler at Cardiffs Millennium Stadium last month.
It was his 21st defence of his WBO belt, to which he added the WBA and WBC versions.
He now stands with a professional record of 44 wins, including 32 knockouts, and no defeats.
"Im shocked. Its a tremendous honour, it has been a great year for me," said Calzaghe, who last year lost out in the poll to equestrian star Zara Phillips, the grand-daughter of the Queen.
Calzaghe and Hatton received their awards from former heavyweight world champion Lennox Lewis in Las Vegas where the Welshman had been to watch Hatton fail in his bid to beat Floyd Mayweather and take the world welterweight crown.
It was a night of double celebration for Calzaghe as his father Enzo was named coach of the year.
The other awards included the team of the year to the England rugby team who lost in the final of the World Cup to South Africa.
Former England football manager Sir Bobby Robson picked up a lifetime achievement award while tennis star Roger Federer won the overseas personality title.
