By Phil D. Jay
Enzo Maccarinelli should hold off on a challenge to compatriot Nathan Cleverly for the foreseeable future, according to his trainer Enzo Calzaghe after the former cruiserweight stopped his first opponent at 175lbs in just 99 seconds last week.
Calzaghe, who trained his son Joe through his entire unbeaten career, has reunited with Maccarinelli, 31, for his campaign at light-heavyweight and believes a WBO title shot against Cleverly should be put on the backburner for now.
“It might be the fight the Welsh public want to see but it is not the fight I want to see,” Calzaghe told walesonline.co.uk.
“This is because I respect both of them and don’t think they need to fight now.
“Maybe further down the line but at the current moment I would prefer to see Enzo do his own thing and fight for another world title.
“He does not need Nathan Cleverly at the moment and Nathan does need him.
“Let them flourish in their own way and the time will come along when they could meet.”
24 year-old Cleverly has had a breakthrough year in 2011 after picking up the world title and is now hoping to unify the belts against WBA champion Beibut Shumenov next year.
Swansea native Maccarinelli will be expected to put some top domestic names on his CV before Cleverly considers him as a challenger anyway and the likes of Ovill McKenzie or even Tony Bellew would be fights he needs to come through first.
Phil D. Jay covers boxing for worldboxingnews.net
