25.11.05 – Wins for WBO World Cruiserweight Champion Johnny Nelson and dynamite punching Welshman Enzo Maccarinelli tomorrow night (Saturday 26 November) in Italy will finally see them meet in a long-awaited unification showdown early next year in Britain..
ITV4’s live broadcast from the Pallezetto Dello Sport in Rome will start at 10pm with Sheffield switch-hitter Nelson defending his title for the 14th time against the WBO #2 ranked challenger Vincenzo Cantatore.
Maccarinelli, the WBU World Champion, features in a ten round international contest against Marco Heinichen and the WBO has ordered that the winner of Nelson v Cantatore will have to make the first defence against Big Mac within 180 days.
Promoter Frank Warren, hot on the heels of making super-fights between Joe Calzaghe and Jeff Lacy plus Scott Harrison and Joan Guzman next year, is delighted to include Nelson-Maccarinelli in the mix.
Warren said, “We are ending the year with a fantastic sell-out show at the ExCeL London headlined by the potentially explosive showdown between Danny Williams and Audley Harrison and we are kicking off 2006 with some super fights,”
“We have just announced Joe Calzaghe’s highly anticipated WBO/IBF super-middleweight unification fight against Jeff Lacy and Scott Harrison is in a cracking title defence against the dangerous puncher Joan Guzman,”
“And another one to add to that list, providing they both come through this weekend, is a great fight between Nelson and Maccarinelli,”
“Johnny has ruled the cruiserweight division for the last six years and next year will be his 20th year as a professional in which time he has acquired a wealth of experience,”
“Enzo is the new kid on the block and he is certainly one of the hardest punching cruiserweights in the division,”
“It’s an intriguing clash and one the fans have been asking to see but before it happens that have to get the wins on Saturday night.”
Joining Maccarinelli in Italy is fellow Welshman Gary Lockett who features in a eight-round contest against Frenchman Victor Kpadenue.