21.02.04 – By Elliot Worsell: Welsh power punching sensation Enzo Macarinelli is a young man making a name for himself in British boxing circles. With dynamite pop in either fist, undoubted heart and the roguish Italian looks that have made countryman Joe Calzaghe such a huge star, the 23 year old Swansea talent is looking to make inroads this year after a promising and TNT filled 2003. Among the 6 men put to rest at the fuming fists of the WBU Cruiserweight champion were Valery Semishkur, Andrei Kiarsten, Earl Morais and of course Bruce Scott, with whom he shared a knockdown filled 4 round war with. Praise and acclaim was lavished upon him by all quarters, fans, promoters, fellow fighters, and most notably boxing writers sat up and began to take note of his big punching exploits.
2004 is therefore set to begin with a bang for Macarinelli as he squares off with former WBU Cruiser champ Garry Delaney in Cardiff tomorrow night. The battle scarred east end hard man has shared ring duty with most noteworthy domestic light heavyweights, cruiserweights and heavyweights in his 13-year pro career, and arguably, represents the toughest challenge Macarinelli will face thus far as a professional. Having never progressed past 4 rounds before, due part to his explosive power, and part to his inexperience, Macarinelli is out to prove that he can hang with the likes of Delaney, and advance towards the top cruiserweights in the world. The hard work starts tomorrow night..
British Eastside caught up with Enzo’s trainer Charlie Pearson on the eve of his charge’s vitally important title defence in Cardiff to gage what the general feeling was going into this match up.
EW. Charlie, how has Enzo’s preparation for this fight gone?
CP. ‘Oh it’s gone very well thank you. He’s been working for over 8 weeks now, and we’ve been pushing him hard in the gym. He’s completed 54 rounds of sparring and his fitness is really good at the moment.’
EW. Who has he been sparring in preparation for tomorrow’s fight?
CP. ‘He’s been sparring with Bruce Scott and another lad, Darren Morgan, a heavyweight, who has just gone out to Croatia to hopefully qualify for the Olympics. Enzo’s been getting some brilliant spars with both of them.’
EW. Have you worked on anything different in the gym since the Earl Morais fight?
CP. ‘We’re always working on different things in the gym and looking for different angles. We’ve had a look at the tapes from Enzo’s previous fights, and made little adjustments here and there. We’ve also looked at tapes of Delaney, and we know what to expect from Garry. He’s been around a long time, but he’s a lot slower than all these other boys (rival cruiserweights). He’s been 12 rounds with Sebastiaan Rothman, but so have a lot of other fighters Enzo has already beaten. Bruce Scott went 12 with Rothmann and so did Earl Morais. Enzo stopped both of them within 4 rounds.’
EW. Do you believe Enzo will have to go past 4 rounds for the first time in his career tomorrow night?
CP. ‘Enzo’s very fit going into this fight. I think you’ll find if this fight goes 4 rounds it will get easier not harder for Enzo. If we can get him out the way early we’ll do it, and with his terrific power he may do that, but if it goes past 4 rounds Enzo will have no trouble whatsoever.’
EW. Do you feel he has the power to stop Delaney?
CP. ‘Yes I do personally. I think Garry will come to fight, and I think he knows that this is his last chance, but Enzo will just be one step too far for him. He’s been a good boy throughout his career and you can’t take anything away from him, and when some of these boys are getting older you tend to underestimate them and they spring a surprise. You only have to look at the Carl Thompson-Sebastiaan Rothman fight to see that. Enzo knows he has to be careful throughout the fight, but he’s in great physical and mental shape for this one.’
‘Enzo’s always had terrific power, it’s natural, the guy was born with it. In the gym we can always work on things to enhance that power though. We try and control his balance, his foot movement, his timing, when all that get’s working together and the co-ordination’s there not many people will stand up to it.’
EW. Do you worry about Delaney’s power?
CP. ‘No not really, it’s not exceptional. I don’t think in power terms he’s in the same league as Enzo. When Enzo hits you, you’ll know all about it. When Garry first starts to get caught tomorrow he’ll see the difference in power.’
EW. What do you have planned for Enzo in 2004, assuming he gets by Delaney on Saturday?
CP. ‘We’re looking for another 3 defences after this fight with Delaney. After that we’ll obviously try and move up to another kind of title fight. We have to take one step at a time but it’s also important to plan ahead and that’s what we’re planning for. The other domestic cruiserweights also interest us, and a fight with David Haye would be a terrific fight in a couple of year’s time. David’s just a young lad at the moment and he needs a chance to show what he can do. Right now the fight wouldn’t be worth it, but 18 months, 2 years down the line, with a lot of things happening that would be a lovely domestic fight.’
‘Also with the cruiserweight divisions going up to 200 lbs Enzo can afford to put on a bit of weight now. That’s natural. He’s a big boy, 6’4, and he’s still growing. Saying that though he eats and trains very well also, and cruiserweight has never been a problem for him. He’s 23 and he’s a world champion, that’s a great achievement.’
EW. Does he feel added pressure knowing that he has a ‘title’ and is yet to go beyond four rounds?
CP. ‘No not really. He takes everything in his stride, and keeps his feet firmly on the ground. He never underestimates anybody, and the two of us are always talking, going through movements in the gym, looking at opponents, switching styles. We try and talk through every aspect of the game together.’
I’d like to thank Charlie Pearson for his time and wish him good luck tomorrow night and continued success in the future.