By James Slater: Former World Boxing Organization (WBO) cruiserweight champ Enzo Maccarinelli, loser of three of his last six outings, all by KO, will give it one more go. The exciting 31-year-old will return to action as a light-heavyweight next Friday at The York Hall in London, and the Welshman’s 175-pound debut will come against an unbeaten fighter.
Maccarinelli, 32-5(25) will face little-known Hungarian, Gyorgy Marosi in a scheduled ten-rounder. Marosi is a 34-year-old who will be having only his second fight outside of his homeland (his one fight out of Hungary taking place in Slovakia), yet his chances cannot be written off in light of Enzo’s past failures.
Now back training with Enzo Calzaghe, Maccarinelli says he feels great down at 175.
“I’m feeling great at light-heavyweight, very fast and agile,” he told BBC Sport. “I’m looking to put in a solid performance at York Hall, so I can start challenging for domestic and then eventually world titles at light-heavyweight.”
But how will Maccarinelli’s chin serve him at the new weight? Were the crushing KO defeats he suffered at the hands of David Haye, Ola Afolabi, Denis Lebedev and, last time out last September, Alexander Frenkel, largely due to Enzo boxing bigger and stronger fighters than he should have been? Or would Maccarineli’s chin have let him down at the lower weight also? Maybe the 175-pound weight class will allow Maccarinelli, at 6’4,” to have advantages in reach and in physical strength over a number of future opponents..
And all Enzo’s defeats have come against world class operators (barring his 2000 loss to Lee Swaby). He should beat Marosi, but if the visiting fighter manages to connect with a shot to the chin there could be some anxious moments.
There is no-one of note on the record of the man from Budapest, and just three of his victims entered the ring with him whilst sporting a winning record. And at a shade over 5’11,” Marosi, 12-0(8) will be giving away a good deal in height and reach next Friday. Again, Maccarinelli should win with no real trouble. But, that chin?
There is talk of Maccarinelli facing the likes of Ovil McKenzie and maybe even Nathan Cleverly down the road. It goes without saying that any such dreams the Welsh banger possesses can be forgotten about if he loses for a sixth time.
Give “Macca” credit for taking on an unbeaten, possibly dangerous foe in his very first fight as a light-heavyweight. Enzo has never been short on courage.