By Mark Vester
British boxing analyst Steve Bunce has advised Enzo Maccarinelli to target WBO cruiserweight champion Marco Huck. On Tuesday Maccarinelli had the appearance of a lamb being sent to the slaughterhouse when he traveled to Russia for a bout with Alexander Kotlobay for the vacant European crown. Macca knew his role, he was being sent over to pad the record of Kotlobay. Instead he knocked Kotlobay out in the first round.
"Kotlobay is a new up-and-coming star in Russia who is ranked very highly. The Russians bought into people saying that I was a shot fighter and my best days are behind me. I told everyone who would listen that this would be over early. I set my stall out and hit him with a cracking shot, he did well to get up but I just finished him off," Macca said to BBC Sport.
"It was a fight I had to win - every fight is like that for me now. I've made a lot of mistakes in the last couple of years - in my preparation, in trying to change things. Before I lost to Denis Lebedev I was already talking about retiring if I was defeated - a fighter shouldn't be like that, he needs to be 100% committed. Now I'm back to my old style and my old gym and I have a renewed hunger for the sport."
Bunce thinks Huck is the best opponent to target for a major world title. Styles make fights and Bunce says the style of Huck is perfect for Macca.
"The fight to go for is German Marco Huck," said Bunce to BBC Sport. "He's as game as they come, but absolutely basic, made for Enzo. The big money fight is to go to Germany, knock him out and become champ again. If that happens... who says fairy tales don't exist?"
"Enzo can now walk into a proper world title fight and on his night he can beat anyone. His head is now in the right place. If he had lost in Russia he would have faced an extremely bleak future. It's one of the best wins overseas for a British fighter in the last three or four years."
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