By Mark Vester
After picking up three straight first round KO wins, former cruiserweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli is claiming to have turned back the clock. Macca was all but done when promoter Frank Warren sent him to Russia to fight once beaten Alexander Kotlobay. Instead Macca knocked him out in the first round to capture the vacant EBU title.
Macca will now fight unbeaten Alexander Frenkel at Birmingham's LG Arena on September 18. Frenkel (22-0, 17KOs) has some steam behind the record. Macca says the steam is overrated.
"He's got a pretty similar record to Alexander Kotlobay who I beat in Russia last time out," said Macca to BBC Sport. "They've fought similar guys, he's another dangerous up-and-comer who wants my name on his record. But my confidence is sky high. I went over to Kotlobay's home town and flattened him in a round."
He wants to use Frenkel as a springboard to another major title shot.
"That win over in Russia just shut people up when they were saying I was finished. This is the Enzo of four or five years ago. I'm on the crest of a wave, feeling good, strong and very fit gone back to basics. I've got the eye of the tiger back, a renewed hunger for the game. I'm not looking beyond Frenkel, but I will be after another world title shot," Macca said.
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