Leading British boxing stars David 'The Hayemaker' Haye and 'The Saint' George Groves lifted top honours last night (July 24) at the inaugural British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) Southern Area Boxing Council awards dinner, held inside The Grange City Hotel, Cooper's Row, London.

WBA world heavyweight champion Haye pipped Kevin Mitchell and Darren Barker to win the coveted 'Boxing of the Year' award, while Commonwealth super-middleweight king Groves overcame stiff competition from Billy Joe Saunders to win 'Prospect of the Year'. 

"This is actually the first award I've won in boxing, believe it not," said Haye, as he collected his prize. "This means a great deal to me, and it's an honour to be given the award."

The 29-year-old Haye defeated 7-feet-2-inch Nikolai Valuev to win the WBA world heavyweight championship last November, and then successfully defended the crown in April with a ninth-round stoppage of number contender John Ruiz.

The 22-year-old Groves, meanwhile, a stablemate of Haye, has soared through the first year-and-a-half of his professional career, and emphatically defeated Charles Adamu in April to win the Commonwealth super-middleweight title. The Hammersmith phenom is unbeaten in nine pro bouts and, in winning a domestic title before the chasing pack, has clearly announced himself as Britain's most ambitious and talented young prospect.