THIS Sunday I will be attending BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year at the Celtic Manor.

It is an event I always enjoy and this year I am one of five in contention to win. I understand I am the bookies favourite along with the other four contenders, footballer Ryan Giggs, golfer Becky Brewerton, cyclist Geraint Thomas and my stablemate Enzo Maccarinelli.

I feel honoured to be in the running to win and crave recognition from the Welsh public above all others, but I must admit I have a few issues with the nominees this year.

In my opinion the person who most deserves to be on this list is another stablemate of mine.

Of course Big Macc deserves his place in the top five, but of everyone in our gym the one who really should be up at the top of the nominees is Gavin Rees.

Gavin is unbeaten in 27 fights - despite all his ups and downs over the years - and this year he won the WBA light welterweight title, making him one of Britain's legitimate world champions.

I have often expressed my belief that in the UK we don't seem to like winners, don't seem to want to celebrate success, preferring glorious failure.

I picked on poor old Tim Henman to make that point last year, and I don't want to bash the other contenders in the frame.

Ryan Giggs won the Premiership with Man-chester United, but that was as part of a very good team and he also retired from playing for Wales.

I also don't think that Geraint Thomas won the Tour de France, even though getting in it is in itself an achievement.

I genuinely find it staggering that Gavin doesn't get the chance to share the spotlight this year. What more can he do?

Also, the Welsh version of Sports Personality of the Year doesn't have a Coach of the Year category as the Sports Council of Wales recognize the best coaches with their own awards.

And guess what, my father and trainer Enzo didn't win.

I could quite easily accept that decision, but he wasn't even nominated!

He's training four world champions, a commonwealth champion and three of Britain's brightest young boxing prospects.

It's over two years and 30 odd fights since dad has been in the losing corner and he wasn't even on the shortlist! Absolutely amazing in my view.

I would also love to see Team Calzaghe be in contention for the Team of the Year award, but I understand that won't happen.

I can understand if people think we shouldn't be eligible because we don't all fight at the same time - just imagine - but by the same token, it is very much a team effort and we are always around to support each other.

I can't think of many teams in Wales this year that have exactly covered themselves in glory, I literally can't even think of who is possibly going to win this award.

Still, I guess all questions will be answered on Sunday and I will give my reaction next week.

Things have gone fairly quiet for me with regard to my next fight, which, to be honest, is fairly standard less than a month after my last one.

I know negotiations are going on with a number of potential opponents, at least three as far as I know.

I definitely want American legend' (in his own lunchtime) Bernard Hopkins, but it's just a case of waiting fingers crossed to see if that comes off.

Certainly I will be fighting in America in 2008 and I really want my first fight of the year to happen by early April at the latest.

Whether that will be in the UK or the US remains to be see - it'll depend completely on who the opponent is.

Next week I will finally get on the holiday I think I've earned!

But I am very much a boxer who loves to watch big fights and I will be going over to Las Vegas to support my mate Ricky Hatton who has the fight of his life against Floyd Mayweather.

I will give my thoughts on that next week, but one fight on the undercard that interests me is Jeff Lacy v Peter Manfredo.

As they are two of my last three opponents, I feel in a unique position to call who will win.

I'd have to go with Lacy. For me he doesn't just have a power advantage, and I see him as the better all-round fighter.

The American journalists rewrote history after I stuffed Lacy, he went from being the US' best up and coming boxer to being a total bum.

I would like to see him rebuild his career and this is a big opportunity for him, as it is for Manfredo.

Manfredo talked a great game after I'd beaten him, but he forgot to show the same kind of courage in the ring!

Catch all the latest news at:

www.calzaghe.co.uk

12-01-2007