Enzo fights the Russian...

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 07 Sep 2003, 16:19

BIG-HITTING Enzo Maccarinelli makes the first defence of his WBU cruiserweight title at the Sports Centre in Newport next Saturday (September 13) against Andrei Kiarsten of Estonia.
The Italian-Welshman won the vacant title in June when he overcame a heavy first round knockdown to flatten Hackney's favoured and vastly more experienced Bruce Scott in four rounds at a packed Cardiff International Arena. That was a really good win for the exciting Swansea man, who has still to go beyond four rounds as a pro. His finishing left hook was a beauty against a man who had previously gone the full 12 rounds with Johnny Nelson in a challenge for the WBO cruiserweight crown.
"I'd said before the fight that I would take him out," the new champion said afterwards. "I just put him on the end of my jab. I thought he might have gone two or three times before the finish, but I always knew I was going to win."
It hardly looked that way early in the first round, when Maccarinelli was floored by a big left hook to the temple and rose on wobbly legs to take a seemingly overlong mandatory eight count from referee Mickey Vann. Maccarinelli insists he was never in trouble.
"I got caught and when I got up my legs wobbled a bit, but that's because I'd got to my feet straight away," he said.
"But I took the standing count no problem, and when the referee asked me what my name was I replied straight away.
"I think the knockdown brought me to senses a bit and warmed me up. From then on I kept jabbing away and then catching him with the right hand."
So Kiarsten will be up against it tomorrow night, and not for the first time. His last visit to this country a year ago saw him in a mini-classic with defending WBU light-heavyweight champion Tony Oakey, who was 16-0 going into the fight and boasted one of the best workrates - and chins - in domestic boxing. But Kiarsten, who also went into the fight unbeaten, rose to the challenge magnificently. He floored Oakey within 90 seconds of the opening bell with a right hook ("It was like coming home to find someone in bed with my wife," said Oakey's manager Frank Maloney), but was down himself in the second from a left hook late in the round. Oakey found himself on the canvas again in the fourth from two right hands - then rallied to drop the challenger in the sixth and dominated the second half of the fight on sheer dogged persistence. Kiarsten showboated in the 12th, but there was little doubt the champion had done enough to retain his title (unanimously) and Kiarsten, who met probably the hardest-headed fighter since Chris Eubank, finished with both hands broken. Oakey didn't emerge unscathed himself. He suffered a broken nose and a cut under his left eye.
Neither man was able to speak to the press afterwards.
"That's one of the best fights this place has ever seen," said Maloney, which says a lot, given the fight was held at York Hall.
Maloney admits his fighter was 'gone' in the first round: "Tony didn't know if he was fighting at York Hall or playing centre forward for Portsmouth football club," he says. "But he showed his championship class."
So Kiarsten looks better than the original challenger lined up to face Maccarinelli, America's Cecil McKenzie, who offered the imposing record of 13-6-1. But of course the Estonian is hardly a natural cruiserweight and will also be sporting a lot of height and reach to the lanky, long-armed champion. Andrei weighed 12st 9lbs for a fight earlier this year against the unbeaten Pole, Tomasz Adamek - and was stopped in two rounds, though he's won his last three and enters the fight with a respectable 15-2 (6) log.
But Maccarinelli has already endured his worst nightmare.
The tall, lean, Swansea puncher turned pro in 1999 after a successful amateur career and cruised to three straight wins before suffering a shock knockout defeat at the hands of Lee Swaby in three rounds.
“That was the best thing that could ever have happened to me,” he says now. “It gave me the kick up the backside that I needed." Southpaw Swaby was no mean opponent for a three-fight novice. He had just gone 10 rounds with Kelly Oliver and entered the fight with 17 fights behind him. Enzo was a raw 19-year-old.
“I wasn’t beaten up or anything in that fight," adds Enzo. "It was a question of one punch knocking me out.
“It was a long road back, but I was just 19 and perhaps wasn’t enjoying the sport as much as I should have been. It made me sort a few things out."
Three years and eleven consecutive wins later, Maccarenelli has proved that his words were more than idle gossip - and at 23 and with a record of 14-1 (10) - is still improving. “The shot I threw against Bruce was a great one, but I can throw better,” claims Enzo. "I've knocked out most of my opponents," he says, "and to be honest I think I've thrown better punches than that.
"I didn't put that much effort into it and it came off a combination, I just timed the punch pretty well."
Kiarsten is a decent puncher himself of course, and questions marks remain over the sturdiness of the champion's chin after the Swaby knockout and the heavy knockdown he suffered against Scott last time out. Furthermore, Kiarsten has already won in Britain when he outpointed Butch Lesley for something called the WBU continental light-heavyweight title at the Elephant & Castle Leisure Centre in 2001. Like the Oakey fight, that was a 12-rounder and the Welsh champion, as we know, has yet to travel past four rounds as a pro. But this is really a showcase defence for the homecoming WBU king, whose last main event appearance in Wales saw that disastrous loss to Swaby. Sports Network don't intend to make the same mistake. They know the Oakey challenge took out of Kiarsten last October and that the naturally heavier champion holds all the size and strength advantages.
The Welshman wins by stoppage or knockout by the tenth.

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The REAL McCoy · Post by **The REAL McCoy** » 07 Sep 2003, 18:04

McCoy hasnt warmed to Enzo yet, but will be watching his fight with Kiarsten with interest, as he gave Oakey a hard fight

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 07 Sep 2003, 18:17

I like Enzo in this one, Kirstan was very one-dimensional and slow, it was Oakey worse performance.

Enzo has got size, and speed over this guy (and power). I think Enzo in about 3-4 sounds about right.

But, my picks have been terrible recently.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 08 Sep 2003, 07:30

Nice preview bennie, bit more interesting this fight, as the American looked a real no-hoper.
Enzo has to be favorite, but if the Russian managed to put over Oakey he'll surely be a danger to the fragile looking Welshman.

I see the Russian got knocked out early by an unbeaten Pole recently, which is probably the result that SN looked at when making this match.

Could be a nervous night for them unless Enzo wins early.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 13 Sep 2003, 16:33

What a punch!! C'mon the boyo!

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 13 Sep 2003, 16:40

MightyWarrior wrote:What a punch!! C'mon the boyo!

A good big 'un beat a good little 'un. I noticed neither McGuigan, Watt or Spencer Oliver mentioned that Kiarsten was jumping up from light-heavy on Ringside the other night. They all kept saying he was a dangerman - which he is. A weight down. The same thing applies to the Hatton-Rios fight the end of the month.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 13 Sep 2003, 16:46

bennie wrote:
MightyWarrior wrote:What a punch!! C'mon the boyo!
A good big 'un beat a good little 'un. I noticed neither McGuigan, Watt or Spencer Oliver mentioned that Kiarsten was jumping up from light-heavy on Ringside the other night. They all kept saying he was a dangerman - which he is. A weight down. The same thing applies to the Hatton-Rios fight the end of the month.

True, that's the Sports Network modus operandus. I like Enzo - always fun to watch the vunerable big punchers.

Staying up for the big one bennie? Tony watching it too?

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 13 Sep 2003, 16:50

MightyWarrior wrote:
bennie wrote:
MightyWarrior wrote:What a punch!! C'mon the boyo!
A good big 'un beat a good little 'un. I noticed neither McGuigan, Watt or Spencer Oliver mentioned that Kiarsten was jumping up from light-heavy on Ringside the other night. They all kept saying he was a dangerman - which he is. A weight down. The same thing applies to the Hatton-Rios fight the end of the month.
True, that's the Sports Network modus operandus. I like Enzo - always fun to watch the vunerable big punchers.

Staying up for the big one bennie? Tony watching it too?

What time is it on, MW?

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 13 Sep 2003, 16:55

Undercard with Cotto probably at 1.30 or 2.

I'd guess Oscar's on around 4-4.30. The Lewis/Vitali was around 3.30 though, so who knows.

Pass the irish coffee

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 13 Sep 2003, 17:09

Cheers, mate. Incidentally, just back to that Williams-Hide sparring session: Danny admits that Henry Akinwande beat him up in sparring.

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 13 Sep 2003, 17:19

MightyWarrior wrote:Undercard with Cotto probably at 1.30 or 2.

I'd guess Oscar's on around 4-4.30. The Lewis/Vitali was around 3.30 though, so who knows.

Pass the irish coffee

It's gonna be a long night folks, i'm going to look like this

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 13 Sep 2003, 17:31

Yep there's boxing everywhere you turn. CH4 are showing Benn fights at 2.30am and there's a show just starting on ZDF - Trabant/Rivera vacant WBA weltertitle and the WBO middle title also, that Argie who Alexander was going to fight, against another German.

I'm gonna watch those then sleep till 2.30 or so. A few whiskeys should wake me up ok!

Dutch Windmill · Post by **Dutch Windmill** » 13 Sep 2003, 17:36

You lucky Brits. I just get "Fraudnight in Berlin". I hope Trabant gets exposed. Too bad I already know the result of Sturm-Velazco.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 13 Sep 2003, 17:36

Yes, I'm in the middle (and I should be near the end!) of completing my Msc Thesis, so I'm used to the long night now (hence why I've been posting here at weird times). So I'll be plugging away at that when the build up is on.

BTW, my Msc is in Sport Psychology, so if anybody (i.e. Danny Williams!) is reading this and want to discuss some employment (voluntary to start off with) then drop me a PM.