Gavin Rees is determined to take his second chance

The WBA light-welterweight champion's first title defence will be his first Saturday night headline show but Rees admits he is still an unknown champion.

Calzaghe needed to reign for 10 years to gain universal recognition so he sympathizes with his junior stablemate.

"He has achieved something special but doesn't get the respect as Gav is a world-class fighter who won a respected title in great style," said Calzaghe.

About 1,500 people will be at the Cardiff International Arena to watch unbeaten Welshman Rees take on Ukranian toughguy Andreas Kotelnik on Saturday.

The Newbridge bruiser, trained by Enzo Calzaghe, shocked the boxing world last July when he comprehensively demolished classy world champion Souleymane M'baye in Cardiff.

"M'baye was top-class but Gavin dismantled him in style," super-middleweight king Calzaghe told BBC Wales' Back Page programme.

What Gavin has achieved makes me proud, he should make Wales proud too Welsh boxing hero Joe Calzaghe

"I've known Gav since I was 10 and what he has achieved makes me proud, but he should make Wales proud too.

"He is fiercely proud to be headlining his first show in Cardiff but he deserves more recognition for what he has done for his country.

"Gavin is not a fighter who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he has become a champion the hardest way possible.

"He hasn't got to prove anything to me and he shouldn't need to prove anything to Wales because few fighters have managed to win the prestigious WBA title.

"I know how Gav feels, I was under-rated for almost ten years.

"No-one recognised me as a credible world champion until I smashed up Jeff Lacy, the so-called next 'Iron' Mike Tyson.

"Even then it needed me to unify the super-middleweight division and beat Mikkel Kessler to finally shut people up and earn me the respect I deserved.

"Proving people wrong gave me extra motivation and I'm sure that Gav has some of that underdog spirit, it's part of our gym's mentality.

"Gav is ready for the challenge of fighting as a champion and from training with him in the gym, I've seen him improve physically and mentally since he beat M'Baye. He is now much more confident."

Challenger Kotelnik made the 10st weight limit without a problem but Rees, who has history of failing to make the weight, needed a second attempt to satisfy the authorities.

606: DEBATE Get off Rees' case as he has not done much wrong so far wicken1301

"I was five grammes over the limit at the first weigh in despite stripping naked," admitted Rees.

"That's nothing so after two jogs around the CIA, I was fine."

'The Rock' is the star attraction in the Welsh capital on Saturday which is a far cry from three-and-a-half years ago.

Rees' boxing career looked over when he was banned for a year by the British Boxing Board of Control after he knocked out a mourner at a wake.

Rees was given a community punishment by a Cardiff Crown Court judge after admitting wounding but the 27-year-old insists he never once considered quitting boxing.

"Boxing was all I knew, it was my life," said Rees.

"I didn't know how much boxing meant to me until I almost lost it.

"I did think that was it for my career but my trainer Enzo Calzaghe stuck by me and I worked hard to get where I am now.

"When you're young, people do make mistakes and I'm sorry for what I did but I'm a different guy now.

"I'm more committed, I've settled down with my family and I'm determined to take the second chance as it is something not many people get."