by James Slater – Though he was badly busted up and beaten inside three-rounds by Denis Lebedev in his last fight back in July of this year, 29-year-old Enzo Maccarinelli is to give it one more go, and will return to action against a TBA on the Amir Khan-Dmitriy Salita bill in Newcastle on December 5th. After having fought off ideas of retirement, the big-hitting Welshman says he wants to get a couple of confidence-restoring wins under his belt, before stepping back up to world championship level next year. The loser in three of his last four fights, with all three defeats coming via stoppage, the 29-year-old has heard many people tell him he should be doing something else for a living, but Enzo says he has the buzz back..
“After my last fight against Denis Lebedev there was talk of me retiring,” Maccarinelli is quoted as saying by The Sporting Life. “I had a long think about where my career was going, but I’ve got my hunger back now. Being a (WBO) world champion meant a lot to me and it hurt so much losing. There’s no way I’ll quit before I win it back.
“The plan is to have a couple of warm-up fights before stepping up to championship level in 2010.”
An exciting fighter, Maccarinelli was one win away from true stardom, at least in Europe, when he was matched with David Haye in a cruiserweight unification clash in March of last year. But the crushing 2nd-round TKO loss he suffered at the hands of the man who went on to capture a world title at heavyweight seemed to have taken a lot out of Enzo. Certainly, he didn’t look himself in two of his next three fights – losing inside the distance to Ola Afolabi and then Lebedev.
But the boxing bug has a firm grip on the Welshman, and now he is sure he has a lot left to offer.
“There were a few things that weren’t right in the Lebedev fight, and it wasn’t a question of me not being good enough, I just didn’t fight the right fight,” Enzo said. “But I know I’ve still got a lot to offer and I’ve been really buzzing in the gym these last few months.
“I’ve had a nightmare 18 months or so, but it’s time for a fresh start.”
As was the case after he lost via 9th-round TKO to Afolabi, Maccarinelli insists he was not at his best when he lost his last fight. Is Enzo fooling himself? How many times can a pro get it wrong when going into a big fight? Many fans and experts would no doubt say the real reason Maccarinlli lost three of his last four bouts IS because he is not good enough.
Still, it’s the fighter’s decision, and there’s never been any bravery lacking on the part of the 29-year-old who is currently 29-4(22). But is Enzo being too brave for his own good by carrying on fighting?