It's been a year of achievement and frustration for the WBO super-middleweight champion since claiming last year's Welsh Sports Personality of the Year award.

Calzaghe, 30, has defended his championship 12 times since taking the belt from Chris Eubank in 1997, making him the longest-reigning and most successful current British world champion.

In April he took part in the best British fight of 2002, outclassing the dangerous Philadelphian Charles Brewer in a memorable, all-action dust-up at the Cardiff International Arena.

The Newbridge bruiser is regarded worldwide as the best fighter in the 12-stone division, standing undefeated after 35 fights.

But for all his achievements, Calzaghe is still struggling to secure the superfights that could establish his legacy as one of the greatest Welsh champions of all time.

Bernard Hopkins' outrageous purse demands have ruled out a fight with 'the Executioner' for the time being, and Roy Jones Jr has chosen to pursue unification dreams by moving up to the heavyweight division.

That has left Calzaghe scratching around for suitable opponents to challenge him and to raise the interest of the public.

Since the Brewer fight, he has taken on Las Vegas doorman Miguel Jimenez and North Dakotan journeyman Tocker Pudwill.

A spectacular show was put on for Jimenez in the grounds of Cardiff Castle - but the fight was dire.

The Puerto Rican had only come to survive and he had a chin of granite to support his ambitions.

Calzaghe won the most comfortable of points decisions, but he was frustrated by his opponent's negative approach and haunted by the recurrence of an old hand injury.

Pudwill - a late replacement who should never have shared a ring with Calzaghe - was destroyed in two rounds.

The frustrations at the end of the year should not overshadow Calzaghe's achievements, though.

The Newbridge man has never ducked the big fights and - as he proved against Brewer - if quality opponents can be put before him in the ring, he will deliver.