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taken from the ITV website
Enzo Maccarinelli has urged David Haye to stop messing around with "weak" opponents and face a real fighter.
Londoner Haye became the WBC's number one contender for O'Neil Bell's world titles when he overcame severe cuts to knock out Giacobbe Fragomeni in the ninth round of their European title fight earlier this month.
But Maccarinelli, in training for a March 3 Millennium Stadium tilt against an unnamed opponent, believes Hayes' ascent is down to some clever management and weak opponents.
He said: "His record (18 wins and one loss), I think, has been padded out a bit by fights against weaker fighters.
"He hasn't been in the ring with someone like me, despite Frank Warren trying to make the fight.
"Fair play, he has done well for himself and climbed the rankings, but I think he has avoided most of the good names."
Maccarinelli was, however, impressed by Haye's determination in seeing off Fragomeni and would relish the chance to face the winner of his clash with Jamaican Bell in a unification bout.
He added: "He proved he had heart and could take a punch, which he needed to prove, but he didn't have much coming at him to be fair. I didn't really expect him to lose that one to be honest.
"But he fought a great fight, and those who said he had stamina problems were proved wrong.
"I don't care who they put in front of me. I just want to fight.
"If it's Bell then great, I believe we are the two best in the world in this division.
"And if it's Haye, then fantastic. He is a good fighter, he's British, and we would be fighting for a unified title.
"Either way, if I could get in the ring with either of them, it would be a great fight for the public and a good payday.
"I really don't think either of them could cope with my power.
"But there's a lot of politics in boxing; the fight might seem logical, but it takes a lot of work to make it happen."
Enzo Maccarinelli has urged David Haye to stop messing around with "weak" opponents and face a real fighter.
Londoner Haye became the WBC's number one contender for O'Neil Bell's world titles when he overcame severe cuts to knock out Giacobbe Fragomeni in the ninth round of their European title fight earlier this month.
But Maccarinelli, in training for a March 3 Millennium Stadium tilt against an unnamed opponent, believes Hayes' ascent is down to some clever management and weak opponents.
He said: "His record (18 wins and one loss), I think, has been padded out a bit by fights against weaker fighters.
"He hasn't been in the ring with someone like me, despite Frank Warren trying to make the fight.
"Fair play, he has done well for himself and climbed the rankings, but I think he has avoided most of the good names."
Maccarinelli was, however, impressed by Haye's determination in seeing off Fragomeni and would relish the chance to face the winner of his clash with Jamaican Bell in a unification bout.
He added: "He proved he had heart and could take a punch, which he needed to prove, but he didn't have much coming at him to be fair. I didn't really expect him to lose that one to be honest.
"But he fought a great fight, and those who said he had stamina problems were proved wrong.
"I don't care who they put in front of me. I just want to fight.
"If it's Bell then great, I believe we are the two best in the world in this division.
"And if it's Haye, then fantastic. He is a good fighter, he's British, and we would be fighting for a unified title.
"Either way, if I could get in the ring with either of them, it would be a great fight for the public and a good payday.
"I really don't think either of them could cope with my power.
"But there's a lot of politics in boxing; the fight might seem logical, but it takes a lot of work to make it happen."
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