BBC CYMRU WALES SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR 2010
Winner announcement: Monday evening, 6 December on BBC Wales radio, online and television, with review of the sporting year at later date.

Nathan Cleverly has continued his rise as Wales' brightest young boxing talent and stands on the brink of a world title shot.

The foundation for a fine 2010 was Cleverly claiming the vacant European light-heavyweight title

The 23-year-old faces Alejandro Lakatos on 11 December in Liverpool for the WBO interim title - and the right to face the winner of the bout between full WBO champion Juergen Braehmer and WBA holder Beibut Shumenov.

Cleverly's last fight was an impressive 10th-round stoppage of the previously unbeaten Karo Murat in Birmingham last September, taking the Welshman's record to 20 wins from 20 fights, with 10 of those stoppages inside the distance.

His performances over the past year saw Cleverly win the coveted Boxing Writers' Young Boxer of the Year award.

The foundation for a fine 2010 was Cleverly claiming the vacant European light-heavyweight title with an impressive stoppage of Italian Antonio Brancalion at Wembley Arena.

Victory over the former European champion saw Cleverly add the European belt to the British and Commonwealth titles he already held.

That saw Cleverly join great Welsh boxers Jim Driscoll, Freddie Welsh, Eddie Thomas, Dai Dower, Johnny Owen and Colin Jones in simultaneously holding British, Commonwealth and European titles.

Cleverly's success this year was not just inside the ring, as the Cefn Fforest man graduated from Cardiff University after completing his mathematics degree.

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