BoxRec

Enzo Maccarinelli Talks To Steve Bunce About His Loss To Ola Afolabi - "I Can't Explain It!"

by James Slater - Five days on from his shocking 9th round TKO loss to the previously largely unknown Ola Afolabi, and former WBO cruiserweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli is still at a loss as to what happened. Showing great character, the Welshman who lost in his interim title fight in Manchester was a telephone guest on today's Steve Bunce Boxing Hour on Setanta TV. While it would have been understandable for Maccarinelli to have preferred to have kept himself hidden away after suffering the kind of shattering loss he was subjected to against Afolabi, Enzo instead wanted to talk about the third defeat of his career..

Maccarinelli, 28, was as shocked as the paying fans were when he was sent down and out in the 9th round. What puzzles the big-hitter more, however, is just why he was so tired in the ring after only a few minutes of action. Maccarinelli did not come across as a sore loser, he simply feels there was something physically wrong with him on March 14th.

Enzo was told he just didn't look himself in there last Saturday night:

"I can't explain it," Maccarinelli said over the phone to the studio. "I've just been to the doctors for a blood test, because after the first round I was so tired - there has to be a reason for that. There was just nothing there! In one round, he hit me with a low blow, and I even thought about going down and taking a knee, to try and get him disqualified. That's how much I wanted to get out of there."

There was genuine disbelief in Maccarinell's voice as he recalled the fight. A man known for his vigorous training ethic, the Welshman could not understand why he was so tired after just one round.

He was asked if a lack of sparring may have had something to do with it.

"I did have a lack of sparring for the fight, I hardly had any," Enzo said. "But that alone would not make me exhausted after one round of boxing. He's a decent fighter, don't get me wrong, but he's no [Wayne] Braithwaite, no [Mark] Hobson and no [Marcelo] Dominguez."

And against the three fighters Maccarinelli mentioned, Enzo came out on top after long and gruelling type affairs. Enzo is sure he can beat Afolabi in a return, and this is the fight he absolutely craves now.

"The only fight I want now is a rematch," Maccarinelli said. "I said that to him [Ola] as soon as the fight was over. He said he'd give me one, but whether or not he actually will we'll have to see. That's the only fight that can get my head right. I can't come to terms with this loss. I think that if I fought Afolabi a million times, he would only beat me that one time."

Again, it must be stressed how Maccarinelli was NOT coming across as a poor sport. He instead is genuinely unsure as to why he, a fighter who aside from anything else is always in tip-top shape, was so badly fatigued so quickly. Maybe when he gets the results back from the doctors Enzo will find out something.

One thing is certain, a rematch between Maccarinelli and the vastly underrated Ola Afolabi would be a most intriguing contest.


You lost because you are British level and Ola is above that.

Simple.

but he was still winning the fight though when he was KO'd - he was ahead on the scorecards - so to suggest Ola is a level above him - not based on the first 8 rounds he werent - it was Enzo winning the rounds

i wish he and his pathetic excuses would just go away.

blood tests at the doctors - suggests maybe he had a lack of iron in his blood - change of diet could have caused it :??

Ola would only beat him that one time out of a million - shows Enzo got the confidence and heart for a rematch

You didnt see Amir Khan dieing to get back in there straight away with Bedis Prescott

Enzo loves to fight - he would take a Ola rematch no doubt - I still think he got the heart to fight Haye again too if he ever got the chance to do better that the first fight

FLINT ISLAND wrote:but he was still winning the fight though when he was KO'd - he was ahead on the scorecards - so to suggest Ola is a level above him - not based on the first 8 rounds he werent - it was Enzo winning the rounds

Enzo lost.

Ola outsmarted him.

Always excused with Enzo - he passed rhe medical so he was fit to fit, imo.

He is a sore loser, same after Haye

DG. wrote:

FLINT ISLAND wrote:but he was still winning the fight though when he was KO'd - he was ahead on the scorecards - so to suggest Ola is a level above him - not based on the first 8 rounds he werent - it was Enzo winning the rounds

Enzo lost.

Ola outsmarted him.

Always excused with Enzo - he passed rhe medical so he was fit to fit, imo.

I agree - on the night Ola was more ring savvy and outsmarted Enzo by playing a rop a dope type game and then nailing him when he got tired

But if Enzo had not got so tired it might of been a different story

It all depends how much truth there is in what Enzo says about there being something physically wrong with him

he might of neglected road work and his lung / cardio fitness was low

or he might of changed his diet and there was a lack of iron in his blood

that wasnt the real Enzo Maccarenelli in there - he was fucked in the 9th round - when we know he got bags of Stamnia usually

FLINT ISLAND wrote:he might of neglected road work and his lung / cardio fitness was low

or he might of changed his diet and there was a lack of iron in his blood

that wasnt the real Enzo Maccarenelli in there - he was fucked in the 9th round - when we know he got bags of Stamnia usually

Too much weightraining and not enough technique/timing/cardio.

Anyway, he had 9 rounds of throwing power punches and he was the only one hurt.

Enzo should just say the better man won on the night and show some class, imo.

I do disagree that Ola was a level above Enzo, Enzo was well ahead - just ran out of steam. I think in a rematch Enzo will know he cannot hurt him and box far more conservatively in terms energy conservation.

Enzo seemed convinced that he was hurting him to the body, when he wasn't.

stujones wrote:I do disagree that Ola was a level above Enzo, Enzo was well ahead - just ran out of steam. I think in a rematch Enzo will know he cannot hurt him and box far more conservatively in terms energy conservation.

Enzo seemed convinced that he was hurting him to the body, when he wasn't.

Maybe Enzo should fight a fw top class opponents and work his way into contention and none of this get knocked out get a vacant title shot!

Agree?

DG. wrote:

FLINT ISLAND wrote:he might of neglected road work and his lung / cardio fitness was low

or he might of changed his diet and there was a lack of iron in his blood

that wasnt the real Enzo Maccarenelli in there - he was fucked in the 9th round - when we know he got bags of Stamnia usually

Too much weightraining and not enough technique/timing/cardio.

Anyway, he had 9 rounds of throwing power punches and he was the only one hurt.

Enzo should just say the better man won on the night and show some class, imo.

D.G if you watch his post fight interview he said he had no excuses and give Afolabi as much praise as he could. The knockdown was a great punch but I think I could have put Enzo away in that round, he came out looking like he just been buzzed.

I think you're being to hard on him, yes he made an excuse when he lost to Haye but not after this fight, and what he says here is just he was tired and couldn't explain why, so he went to the doctor.

By the way, Afolabi made a fan of me, I really enjoyed his cockiness, especially when the crowd thought Enzo landed a bomb and he look into the crowd as if to say 'are you serious'

Enzo didn't look tired in round 1, he didn't tire until about 7 and 8 when he really slowed down.

That was because he was winding up with massive punches and wasting energy wrestling on the inside against a much smarter fighter who used very little energy.

Enzo can win a rematch - he needs to box long, use the jab, the straight right and the uppercut from range to keep his opponent off.

youngrell wrote:

DG. wrote:

FLINT ISLAND wrote:he might of neglected road work and his lung / cardio fitness was low

or he might of changed his diet and there was a lack of iron in his blood

that wasnt the real Enzo Maccarenelli in there - he was fucked in the 9th round - when we know he got bags of Stamnia usually

Too much weightraining and not enough technique/timing/cardio.

Anyway, he had 9 rounds of throwing power punches and he was the only one hurt.

Enzo should just say the better man won on the night and show some class, imo.

D.G if you watch his post fight interview he said he had no excuses and give Afolabi as much praise as he could. The knockdown was a great punch but I think I could have put Enzo away in that round, he came out looking like he just been buzzed.

I think you're being to hard on him, yes he made an excuse when he lost to Haye but not after this fight, and what he says here is just he was tired and couldn't explain why, so he went to the doctor.

By the way, Afolabi made a fan of me, I really enjoyed his cockiness, especially when the crowd thought Enzo landed a bomb and he look into the crowd as if to say 'are you serious'

I think Enzo shold keep those things to himself, personally. But yes Ola wa sa great showman and maybe that had a lot to do with Enzo falling apsrt the way he did...

Enzo shoud have told us what the mistake he made against Haye was!

jamesmcdonnell wrote: Enzo didn't look tired in round 1, he didn't tire until about 7 and 8 when he really slowed down.

That was because he was winding up with massive punches and wasting energy wrestling on the inside against a much smarter fighter who used very little energy.

Exactly.

Getting in the ring

Nah, seriously, one mistake he made was getting up straight away. Probably would have still been put away but he didn't give his legs any chance by getting up so fast, and he seems to be a big fan of the chicken dance.

I don't think he's got the best chin but people who say it is made of glass are full of shit though, because the right Haye landed should've flattened anyone imo.

He did seem slightly bitter after to losing to Haye, but generally Enzo is a top bloke imo, I'ce met him once or twice and he gives an amazing amount of time to the fans

How many times does this guy need to get knocked out before he is humbled?

And he was winding the punches up because he thought it would be an easy payday.
Its his own fault. Hes not ill theres nothing wrong with him he was just beaten by the better man.
I hope he doesnt get the rematch as its in own fault.
I might go to work tomorrow and do half my work.Whats my excuse?
Macceroni syndrome

It always amazes me on here that some "boxing fans" love putting fighters down. What amazes me more is that some continue to bang away, not content to put up one or two slamming remarks but keep coming back with comments which are just plain nasty.

Enzo is a good fighter and a top bloke. Clearly things went very wrong, against Braithwaite he banged away for 12 rounds but was out on his feet in the eighth and didn't seem to have any idea of what Afolabi's style was like.

I particularly am amazed by people who say "I wish he would just go away", constantly said about any top British fighters. Why? You don't have to watch his fights, you don't have to watch or read his interviews. But a lot of people are fans of Maccarinelli.

DG. wrote:

stujones wrote:I do disagree that Ola was a level above Enzo, Enzo was well ahead - just ran out of steam. I think in a rematch Enzo will know he cannot hurt him and box far more conservatively in terms energy conservation.

Enzo seemed convinced that he was hurting him to the body, when he wasn't.

Maybe Enzo should fight a fw top class opponents and work his way into contention and none of this get knocked out get a vacant title shot!

Agree?

Completely agree

gobbles wrote:It always amazes me on here that some "boxing fans" love putting fighters down. What amazes me more is that some continue to bang away, not content to put up one or two slamming remarks but keep coming back with comments which are just plain nasty.

Enzo is a good fighter and a top bloke. Clearly things went very wrong, against Braithwaite he banged away for 12 rounds but was out on his feet in the eighth and didn't seem to have any idea of what Afolabi's style was like.

I particularly am amazed by people who say "I wish he would just go away", constantly said about any top British fighters. Why? You don't have to watch his fights, you don't have to watch or read his interviews. But a lot of people are fans of Maccarinelli.

Completely agree!

gobbles wrote:It always amazes me on here that some "boxing fans" love putting fighters down. What amazes me more is that some continue to bang away, not content to put up one or two slamming remarks but keep coming back with comments which are just plain nasty.

Enzo is a good fighter and a top bloke. Clearly things went very wrong, against Braithwaite he banged away for 12 rounds but was out on his feet in the eighth and didn't seem to have any idea of what Afolabi's style was like.

I particularly am amazed by people who say "I wish he would just go away", constantly said about any top British fighters. Why? You don't have to watch his fights, you don't have to watch or read his interviews. But a lot of people are fans of Maccarinelli.

I don't want him to go away. I want him to admit he lost to a better fighter and not make a load of excuses ( as he did with Haye).

Fwank most likely set him up with Ola, he already had options on him I bet...Allegedly!

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Enzo didn't look tired in round 1, he didn't tire until about 7 and 8 when he really slowed down.

That was because he was winding up with massive punches and wasting energy wrestling on the inside against a much smarter fighter who used very little energy.

Enzo can win a rematch - he needs to box long, use the jab, the straight right and the uppercut from range to keep his opponent off.

i agree with you completely apart from the last sentence, if they fought again the smart money would be on olafabi. enzo understimated the opponent (his words) if you do that then you do not train properly and you remain unfocused, enzo calzaghe has failed in his capacity as a trainer if he let maccarinelli go into the ring underestimating the opponent, its very unprofessional.

He could have won rounds and won the fight at the end of his jab and straight right. Afolabi has a very poor workrate, and likes to fight in close. I honestly believe Enzo can win a rematch, but only if he fights a different fight.

Afalobi needs to be broken down if you want to beat him, you can't just go whaling away and try and take him out, he's too cute, and has too good a chin for that.