Joe Calzaghe, the undisputed super-middleweight champion of the world, held off stiff competition to win the 2007 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award tonight.
Young Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton came in second place and Ricky Hatton, still in Las Vegas from his fight with Floyd Mayweather, came third.
Calzaghe lost out last year in the poll to equestrian's Zara Phillips and joked then that he was not disappointed. "I said I didn't care last year but I lied."
"I'm shocked. It's a tremendous honour, It has been a great year for me," Calzaghe told the ceremony.
Calzaghe, 35, unified the super-middleweight division with a unanimous points victory over Denmark's Mikkel Kessler at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium last month.
It was his 21st defence of his WBO belt, to which he added the WBA and WBC versions.
It was also a good night for Enzo Calzaghe, father of Joe, who won the coach's award.
Former England manager Sir Bobby Robson was awarded a lifetime achievement award and was presented it by Sir Alex Ferguson.
The England rugby team won the sports team of the year and South Africa's blade-runner, Oscar Pistorius, won the Helen Rollason Award.
Roger Federer was named the overseas sportsman of the year for a third time, and the Young Sports Personality of the Year Award went to diver Tom Daley.
