By Terence Dooley
Enzo Maccarinelli has been handed a title lifeline by promoter Frank Warren in the form of an EBU cruiserweight title tilt against Russia’s Alexander Kotlobay on April 27 at the Yubileiny Sports Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Enzo suffered a nightmare 2009, losing by stoppage to Ola Afolabi and Denis Lebedev.
However, I spoke to the genial giant about those defeats after Enzo’s last fight, a first round TKO of Zoltan Czekus, and the Welshman assured me that there were mistakes made in the build up to both losses. Enzo believes that he is still capable of challenging the top boys in the division and the fight with Kotlobay, set for Saint Petersburg, Russian could go some way to mending the 29-year-olds damaged reputation.
Alexander, also 29, has suffered one defeat in his 20 contests, a 2006 points reverse to the brilliantly monikered Anders Hugger, and the only other blotch on his record is a draw with Ali Ismaliov. A dozen of Alexander’s eighteen wins have come via stoppage and the 6’ 1’’ fighter is on a run of twelve straight wins.
Enzo is 31-4 (24 early) with three of his reverses coming in recent title fights. Indeed, Enzo’s downturn began when losing to David Haye in March of 2008; ‘Big Mac’ was clearly hit hard by that particular defeat. A win over Kotlobay could be just the tonic Enzo needs; a loss would surely be the end for Maccarinelli.
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