The Board rejected Jorge Castro
Posted: 20 Nov 2003, 14:00
Just 24 hours after hearing that he was due to face former world champion Jorge Castro at the Cardiff Ice Rink next month, Enzo Maccarinelli has learned that his opponent has been changed.
The Board of Control have vetoed the veteran Argentine, so the Swansea man's second WBU cruiserweight defence will now be against a fighter from across the Andes, Chile's Carlos Cruzat.
The Board's decision was based mainly on reports from South Africa of Castro's July challenge to IBO champion Sebastiaan Rothmann, which referred to him "clowning around" and generally being less than competitive.
Cruzat, who will be 35 three days after the December 6 showdown, may not have Castro's experience, but should be more ambitious.
He took up boxing after watching Roberto Duran beat Sugar Ray Leonard on TV and by the time he was seven was telling friends that he would be a world champion.
He achieved that feat, if you regard the IBA belt as a world title - and, in fairness, it's at least on a par with Maccarinelli's WBU honour - winning it in 2000 and ruling until this year, when he was stripped for inactivity.
A knee injury has kept the Chilean out since last November.
Carlos suffered five defeats early in his career, while based in California, but has not been beaten since 1993.
He has won 14 on the trot.
The Board of Control have vetoed the veteran Argentine, so the Swansea man's second WBU cruiserweight defence will now be against a fighter from across the Andes, Chile's Carlos Cruzat.
The Board's decision was based mainly on reports from South Africa of Castro's July challenge to IBO champion Sebastiaan Rothmann, which referred to him "clowning around" and generally being less than competitive.
Cruzat, who will be 35 three days after the December 6 showdown, may not have Castro's experience, but should be more ambitious.
He took up boxing after watching Roberto Duran beat Sugar Ray Leonard on TV and by the time he was seven was telling friends that he would be a world champion.
He achieved that feat, if you regard the IBA belt as a world title - and, in fairness, it's at least on a par with Maccarinelli's WBU honour - winning it in 2000 and ruling until this year, when he was stripped for inactivity.
A knee injury has kept the Chilean out since last November.
Carlos suffered five defeats early in his career, while based in California, but has not been beaten since 1993.
He has won 14 on the trot.