FULL credit to Joe Calzaghe for blasting rival Carl Froch over the weekend, a deserved action for the fact that despite all his success, Froch still isn’t a big enough man to embrace his role in British boxing.

I’ve written countless opinion pieces in this forum on the subject, just as Joe used to do in his exclusive Argus column, but the fact is, I don’t think either Joe or this reporter dispute Froch’s current status as British boxing’s top dog.

If he’s not the best active British boxer, he is certainly the biggest name. And rightly so. His fights are nearly always entertaining wars and he’s provided the British public with some truly memorable and exciting nights.

But that doesn’t excuse the fact that he doesn’t embrace an iota, his role as the flag bearer for British boxing. He should be the sport’s leader and role model in terms of UK fighters and fans, but he just comes across like an insecure and bitter guy, nowhere near as secure in his legacy as he claims.

How else do you explain Froch’s failure to give any real credit to James DeGale?

DeGale, let us not forget, was calling out Froch, long before Froch could have or should have seen him as a viable option. Froch has, after all, beaten George Groves twice, who also happened to beat DeGale. No issues there.

But Froch also pointed out that a world title would add legitimacy to DeGale’s claims, which is exactly what happened on Saturday when DeGale fought bravely to beat Andre Dirrell on points in the US to become our first world champion who previously won Olympic gold.

There is frankly no possible other reaction than to wish the kid every success and to congratulate him on a major success for British sport.

Unless you’re Carl Froch. In which case you give the damndest of praise, basically calling DeGale lucky and questioning how bright a future he has in the sport.

For what purpose? For what reason other than personal insecurity?

Joe Calzaghe might have “started,” his weekend Twitter spat with Froch, but only through annoyance at him once again failing to practice what he preached, namely, giving credit to another fighter for a good job well done.

This is the same Froch who tells everyone that Groves is “Cobra-ed,” and unlikely to reach his peak again and who absolutely hammered Nathan Cleverly, then a world champion, for having the temerity to eye a Nottingham fight with Carl.

He continues to come across like an insecure guy, constantly trying to write his own place in the pantheon of boxing history, rather than letting his record and style speak for itself.

He utterly rejects the chance to promote British boxing by encouraging his younger peers and even now calls a two-weight world champion who won 46 fights without defeat, ‘a chicken.’

What a shame his class outside the ring fails to match that inside the ropes.

STICKING with boxing and it is an utterly huge week for Wales with three of our top professional fighters all bidding to begin writing the next chapter of their careers.

Front and centre is Lee Selby, the man dubbed the Welsh Mayweather.

His job is simple, beat Evgeny Gradovich for the IBF world featherweight title at The O2 in London on Saturday and become Wales’ 12th professional world champion boxer.

And don’t fear for a minute that he won’t do it, good as Gradovich is, because Selby is the real deal.

The best Welsh boxer to lace up his gloves since Calzaghe’s retirement, Selby can emulate Joe by unifying a division and heading to America for his real career-defining nights and fights.

Selby has the ability, the training camp and the temperament to get the job done and whisper it quietly, but in the art of hit and not be hit; he may even exceed the Pride of Wales.

It is also a big night for Craig Evans, an extremely underrated Gwent fighter and stablemate of Selby’s at St Joes, Craig Evans, as he steps up a weight and in class for a crack at a British title.

Evans, undefeated in 14, steps up to lightweight to face Scott Cardle, undefeated in 17 in a contest where the bookies have totally written off the Blackwood man.

He’s as much as a 3/1 shot, presumably as he’s having to step up in weight, but this is a long overdue opportunity for Evans and don’t be shocked to see him seize it.

It reminds me of a battle in 2006 that saw a young Nathan Cleverly stun undefeated Tony Quigley, the house fighter, in a similar bout where both men were looking for the win to push them to the next level. Cleverly was a similar outsider and don’t be surprised by a similar outcome.

Cleverly will also be in action on Saturday, low on the card as he fights an unnamed opponent at light heavyweight, looking to put his cruiserweight experiment behind him and get back to winning ways.

The purse and crowd will be low for his test, but the stakes couldn’t be higher, a win guaranteeing an unlikely world title shot against Juergen Braehmer in September.

For all three Welshman, it’s a potentially career defining week. We wish them all well.