European Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Maccarinelli 32-4(25) will look to make the first defence of his title against unbeaten Ukrainian Alexander Frenkel on the bumper 18 September show in Birmingham, England. Back in 2006 Maccarinelli was a young world champion with an entertaining style he would make 4 successful defence’s of the WBO strap before losing it in a bragging rights unification shootout with David Haye. It seemed to send his career into a tailspin when he lost two in a row in a bad 2009. While many fighters would opt to retire not Maccarinelli he decided against getting a day job, rededicated himself going back to basics. After two feel your way back wins both in the first round he was left with a decision to fight in Prizefighter for more money, against weaker opposition or fight for the vacant European crown which though more prestigious would be in Russia against Alexander Kotlobay. After deliberating it with promoter Frank Warren, Maccarinelli decided no guts no glory going for the jugular heading to Russia where he demolished Kotlobay in 135 seconds of the opening round. Maccarinelli hopes to get an impressive victory over Frenkel that would propel him into a muted Cruiserweight Super 6. Here’s what Big Macc had to say ahead of the fight.

Hello Enzo, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – Firstly you will be making your first defence of the European Cruiserweight title against Alexander Frenkel. What are your thoughts on Frankel? How good do you think he is?

Enzo Maccarinelli – Yeah obviously he’s good. He’s got a good record, good knock out record. I’ve seen the boys he’s been fighting they haven’t been up to much i’ll be honest but he’s taken care of them. He beat what’s in front of him but i’m in a totally different kettle of fish to what he’s faced.

Anson Wainwright – Your fight takes place on the massive 18 September Birmingham show. What are your thoughts on appearing on that card?

Enzo Maccarinelli – Yeah to be honest it doesn’t really bother me if i’m honest. I’m in this for myself, it’s not a team sport. But you’ve got to give some kudos to Frank Warren for putting on a show like this. It’s got to be the most stacked 50-50 fights for British Boxing for many years. I think it’ll be a fantastic night of boxing and i’m sure everyone will play a part in making it a great night.

Anson Wainwright – Over the past few years you’ve changed several things in your team having left the Calzaghe stable, who are you trained by now? Also who is your manager & promoter? What gym do you train at?

Enzo Maccarinelli – Yeah i train with Karl Ince he does pads with me. A conditioner Chris Ware for fitness and an old trainer from when i was younger Derek who’s just pushing me. I’ve gone back to basics. I’ve left all the weights alone, which i’ve done over the last couple of years. Plenty of running, plenty of Boxing, plenty of sparring. I’m in London, I’ve sparred with Derek Chisora this week. Everything is going well. My manager & promoter is Frank Warren. I train over my dad’s gym where it all started, like i say i’ve gone back to basics, i train at home. The place that i grew up and made me. It’s a little tin shed in Swansea, it’s boiling in the summer & freezing in the winter. But it’s what i call my second home. It’s relight the fire inside me.

Anson Wainwright -From your point of view what made your decide to leave the Calzaghe’s and how are things between you now?

Enzo Maccarinelli – It’s all amicable. I gave them my reason’s why i left. I speak to Joe all the time. I speak to Enzo all the time. There’s no animosity at all with me leaving at all. When Joe retired Enzo lost some of his love for the game, he wouldn’t admit it at the time but i think he would now. It was just something i had to do. I don’t hold grudges there’s no grudges to hold. I’m very close to Joe, i’m very close to Enzo.

Anson Wainwright -Obviously Frenkel is a very real test for you, but all being well I’m sure you want to get back on the World stage. What is your plan of attack?

Enzo Maccarinelli – I want that world title back again. I’m in this for no other reason. When i lost to Lebedev and Afolabi i lost to boys who a couple of years ago wouldn’t of touched me. But i lost. I’m not making excuses, i’m not saying it wasn’t me. I prepared wrong for both of them fights, they prepared right they won, preparation is key. But the thing was i knew what i did wrong. Especially after the Lebedev fight i was embarrassed not because i lost because of the way i performed. It was upto me to either sit in the house and think of a new career or carry on and do the sport i love. Obviously here i am. Everyone gave me no hope what so ever going to Russia. I smashed the boy up. I did exactly what i said i was going to do. It was no lucky shot. I said it was going to be over in two rounds and it was the first!

Anson Wainwright -What are your thoughts on the current state of the Cruiserweight division? Where do you feel you fit in to things?

Enzo Maccarinelli – I fit in there. I feel i can beat any Cruiserweight on the planet bar none. As long as i prepare right, as long as i turn up right on the night. I think it’ll be a hard man to beat me. It’s a good division with good fighters. I’d place Steve Cunningham at the top he’s been around a long time he shows no sign of slowing down. Me and Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, Marco Huck would be a cracking fights. I’ve heard rumours of Super 6’s in all division’s so that would be something i’d love to do. But i’m not taking nothing for granted Alexander Frenkel is a dangerous opponent. I’m training as hard as ever. My weight is fine, i’m under weight already, i’m fit as a fiddle. I could do 12 rounds tomorrow. It’s just a matter of not going over the top.

Anson Wainwright – You touched on the Cruiserweight Super 6 which has been mentioned, what are your thoughts on that?

Enzo Maccarinelli – It would be fantastic. It would definitely be something i’d like to do. If i can put on something spectacular against Frenkel then maybe i could earn my way in there, that would be ideal for me, I’d be more than happy. It would be a fantastic tournament at the end of the day after Seven or so fights you find out who the number one is.

Anson Wainwright -You went into the Lions den so to speak last time out when you won the European title, was that a case of you having to win as a loss would of put you in a very difficult place?

Enzo Maccarinelli – Yeah that’s the way i see every fight from now on. When i lost to Lebedev i changed a few things, i didn’t feel anything i did in training was right. But maybe I didn’t have the hunger, but i went along with it, i knew it wasn’t right. I lost i thought i’m going to give it one last crack, i know i can still do it. I’m going to do it my way so if it F&!$’s up it’s all on me. I had that offer to go to Russia and it was either that or Prizefighter. On paper Prizefighter was a lot easier, i’d get paid a lot more money to win Prizefighter. But the rewards were more (For the European Title). Some journalists said it was the best performance by a British fighter on foreign soil in many a year. Nothing hindered me, i spoke to Frank Warren he offered me Prizefighter or the European title. I said which one do you want me to take? He said he’d like me to fight for the European, that was enough for me. I told them all i’d knock him out and that’s exactly what i did.

Anson Wainwright -The biggest fight of your career to date was the David Haye unification. Looking back what are your thoughts on that fight? Was it a case of him just being to big for you?

Enzo Maccarinelli – No not at all. If you watch the fight i hit him in the first round, i didn’t take my chance. He did in the second round. It was a matter of who landed the cleanest (Punch) first. He landed a few times in the first round. But the second round he caught me and finished the job, all credit to him. But after that fight i tried to change things but i just came up against a better boy that night.

Anson Wainwright -After the Haye fight you seemed to be on the way down losing to Afolabi & Lebedev. What happened at that time and how have you turned the corner now?

Enzo Maccarinelli – It was basically when i lost to Ola Afolabi i was winning every round but i was absolutely exhausted from the second round. If you see the fights from before like the first Hobson fight i’ll fight to the finish. Against Afolabi was exausted, I was quite surprised i lasted 8 rounds i’ll be honest. He caught me in the 8th but lets be honest people say about my chin but that would of knock out a Heavyweight. Some people say it was a lucky punch, it was nothing to do with luck. I was absolutely shattered, I threw a lazy jab, he threw it with everything he had into the punch. I changed trainers i went to Bolton with Karl Ince who still works with me. But when i first went with Karl he tried too hard to do everything too correct. I brought in one of the best strength and conditioner trainers in the world to make me do this make me do that. It just didn’t feel right for me. It was to much emphasis on rest and recovery not enough on ridiculous hard work which is what i have always been used to. I went back to Swansea, i didn’t like being away from the kids. I know you need to make sacrifices. But i didn’t like being away from them for all that time, i don’t know if it effected me. But back home in Swansea everyday i see my kids it gave me strength. I’ve gone back to the old tin shed i grew up in. It’s relight the flames i’m in love with Boxing again after i fell out of love with it.

Anson Wainwright -If it wasn’t for Boxing what do you think you’d be doing for a living?

Enzo Maccarinelli – I don’t know. My dad grew me to be a fighter. There’s pictures of me at 3 years old in the gym hitting the bag. Obviously i don’t know what i was doing but i’m hitting the bag. My dad just wanted me to be a fighter. I was good in school, very good but all my reports say the same Enzo wont be one of our brightest pupils he wont try hard because for some reason he thinks he’s going to be a World Champion boxer! Haha it was nice to go back to present awards as a World Champion boxer.

Anson Wainwright – Though your still young what do you think you’d like to do after your Boxing career?

Enzo Maccarinelli – Only one thing i want to do, train boys. I train boys 3 days a week at my dad’s amateur gym. The night i won the European title i had a call off my dad congratulating me. But we had a young boy 17, just gone to the World Youth Championship’s without much experience but won his first fight by 10 points against a top boy. I’m trying to explain to people i was just as happy for him as i was for myself but they don’t get that. How close i am with all these kids in the gym. I’m telling you i have 4/5 boys who are definitely going to go on and do something.

Anson Wainwright -Finally do you have a message for Alexander Frenkel ahead of your fight?

Enzo Maccarinelli – No i don’t have any message just be prepared. He’s shooting his mouth off saying he’s going to knock me out and go site seeing. He wont have to go far, I’ll meet him in the centre of that ring and i guarantee i’ll be the first person to hit him back and he’ll know what it’s like to be hit by Big Macc!

Thanks for your time Enzo, good luck on the 18 September

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

Devon Alexander and Andriy Kotelnik weigh-in for their IBF/WBC 140 lb championship fight in St. Louis

Video by Ed Keenan / EMC Events

Tavoris Cloud and Glen Johnson weigh-in for their IBF Light Heavyweight championship showdown in St. Louis

Video by Ed Keenan / EMC Events

Boxer’s as a rule have always been known as having rather ugly faces, for example the boxers nose, the cauliflower ear, scar tissue, the high cheek bones, are what are usually remarked about of the boxers face.

However contrary to popular belief, there comes along the pretty boy, or better known as the golden boy whose handsome countenance makes a mockery of the trade he plies and clearly dispel’s such stereotypical views of the boxer’s boat, {cockney slang for someone’s face} and talking of boat’s don’t worry guy’s we’ll be taking a trip to the seaside soon, in the literary sense of course!

Through the years, there have been plenty of good looking men who have traded leather but have dismissed the old adage about ‘he looks a bit banged up’ let’s start with Jack Dempsey, the first million dollar fighter, who also had a short career on the silver screen with actress wife Estelle Taylor, then came boxing’s first golden boy Art Aragon, then Sugar’s Robinson and Leonard, both pretty boy’s, Muhammad Ali, Bobby Czyz, Donnie “Golden Boy” Lalonde the former W.B.C 175lb king, who ring magazine stated as ‘diabolically good looking’ to Britain’s own Robin Reid, who in his spare time posed for girly mags in erotic poses, Calzaghe is another one, both former World super middleweight champions respectively.

However it’s with the super middle’s and Britain where we’ll stay, shall we?, see down in the South coast there’s a super middle coming up the rankings, and from Margate actually, look I’ll explain a little later!

However though only boxing six times and winning his last five in a row as a pro, he sure looks impressive inside the confines of a boxing ring, but talking of looks it’s on the outside his been causing waves, well he is from Margate ain’t he!

So without further a due, let me introduce boxing’s latest golden boy……Jack Morris.

See Jack does’nt look like your average boxer as I once stated in a previous article on the super middleweight prospect, with his boy next door good looks and much, much further away girls, in your wildest dreams!

Morris a native of Margate, the place of kiss me quick hats, though I’m sure ladies you’d opt to kiss Jack slowly!

Jack who stands six foot tall has been dubbed by many of the local lasses down there in Southwark as the Beckham of boxing, oh sorry guy’s I did’nt mention when Jack’s not at home weekend’s in Margate, he stay’s in London as this is where he trains down at the City Boxer gym, a personal trainer during the day, Jack also doe’s a bit of modeling naturally.

Having modeled in his teens, it was’nt long before bigger names came knocking at the afforementioned City Boxer gym, one time Jack modeled in Holborn in London and was paid for a measly two hours work the grand sum of 00!

Modelling anything from Suits to Boxing wear, Jack is at the moment in talks with GQ magazine and Men’s Health involving more work, only last year Jack was offered a week’s work in Milan, the fashion capital of the World for 000, as one of the top people from the late Alexander McQueen’s company felt Jack had the right look and build, however due to there not being enough model’s with the right look, the shoot was canceled.

However despite that initial setback of sorts, the offers weren’t far away from big name modeling agency’s, has Jack was picked up by Dominic Barratt Evans who himself is good friends with Jason Joyce {take a look at www.jasonjoyce.com to see for yourself} who shoots some of the most famous people in the World, U2, Oasis, Cheryl Cole, amongst some of the World’s top models amongst others….so Jack is certainly mixing with the big boys in the photogenic sense, say no more!
Has I mentioned earlier Jack who stand’s an imposing six feet tall, his twelve stone is distributed nicely over his manly frame, wide sloping shoulders with a good six pack chucked in for good measure, and with bulging biceps and unlike most muscle men he doesn’t suffer from what I term ‘lolly pop legs’ as his pin’s are more shapely and well muscled, more like that of a footballer.

It amazes me that a guy that get’s punched in the face for a living is in my totally unbiased opinion a lot better looking than most footballers and for that matter film stars, so I told you quite a bit about Jack, so what’s his face like?, well….. if you could imagine a guy that looks across between Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore, you might know where I’m coming from, this guy is so handsome, and please let me go on record as one writer once did in Ring magazine back in 1993 when doing an article on Billy Conn, who was former light heavy champ, “he was the most handsome man I ever saw in my life” and where Jack’s concerned I echo that very sentence, drop dead gorgeous he sure is, nice friendly blue eyes, shine from his pale complexion, with a nicely shaped nose, also his lovely smile that’s harbored by wait for it girls…..his squarish manly jaw and more importantly Jack when he speaks, it’s with a nice quiet baritone, see there’s nothing flash or cocky with this guy, he is one of the quietest people I have had the pleasure of meeting in my life.

Born on 15th August 1982, I remember the actual day very well as I was a twelve year old at Leigh on sea in Essex, I remember seeing a pretty girl of a similar age, both looking at each other, I felt like I was falling in love at such a young age, it reminded me of that scene from Blake Edward’s film ’10’ where Dudley Moore is imagining his running along the beach meeting up with Bo Derek {a regular at the big fights in the 80’s}, but sadly for me reality struck later that day as she left and I never saw her again, I could have cried but one thing’s for sure someone did that very day, some miles away in Greenwich, it was a newborn baby….it was Jack Morris!

Never mind ’10’, the number ’13’ is a number that Jack seems comfortable with as this is for some reason his nickname, see no one other than the man himself know’s why this is, and in true Bond fashion, it’s top secret simple as, see Jack won’t unleash the reason why he calls himself this until after one of his fights, possibly after he becomes a champion, so you could say ’13’ will one day be number 1!

And in true Patrick Mcgoohan fashion from the hit TV series, The Prisoner, he is not just a number, he is the man!

Jack Morris however is from my knowledge the only boxer ever to call himself ’13’, but by eerie coincidence in the sport of baseball, there was also another Jack Morris who had made history with the number 13, as he scored a record Major League thirteen consecutive straight opening day starts from 1980 through to 1992, but hey it’s the boxing version whose knocking em for six, man and woman alike,See every man want’s to be him, every woman with him!

Jack however is now also a proud father himself, real name Andrew Morris, due to the British boxing board of control deciding that there couldn’t be two Andrew Morris’ as there’s a Andy Morris a super feather from Manchester, so Andrew named himself after his son whose name’s Jack obviously.
The name cunjer’s up that of a old time prizefighter, someone who plied there trade back in the 20’s during the time’s of another Jack, Dempsey that is, however not only that but Morris fights like one also, my first time of watching him was last year at the Troxy, when he defeated the durable Kenroy Lambert who rarely gets stopped, sitting there I felt excited just like when I was a sixteen year old watching for the first time the black and white fights of Dempsey, Marciano and Tunney, it felt as though I was watching a throwback the very way Morris moved and let go with his shots, even managing to score a most impressive stoppage victory over Lambert which is a rarity itself! or has Steve Holdsworth pointed out to me when I was around his house, “that’s a good result, no one hardly stops Kenroy!” enough said!

However at that particular venue on a big screen before the contest, Jack was shown being interviewed by his trainer Mark ” the Burf” Burford, the big screen treatment fitting as Jack is hoping that an acting career will hopefully come to fruition on a much bigger screen after his finished trading punches for punch lines!

Also it is hoped a much bigger stage boxing wise, with the good looks of a James Bond type, and like the nickname of his trainer, the “Burf” it could be the birth indeed of a champion boxer and film star, or like the recent film starring Jim Carey ‘I love Philip Morris’ all I can say is Jack ain’t too bad himself! and while on the subject of celluloid, in true Bond idiom on getting back to that particular March evening last year, it was Lambert who was shaken, myself stirred!

However thus far as a pro Jack has showed progress more so in his last two fights, beating oft beat journeymen in Jamie Ambler and Adam Wilcox, it’s not just beating them, it’s the way he has, more conclusively than that of the other so called prospects, harmed not only with hooks that weaken opponents knee’s, but looks that weaken the ladies knee’s Jack is a winner on both sides of the ropes it seems.

Surely a member of the bored housewife’s club and many a teenage girls fantasy, let me put it into some kind of perspective shall I, after buying the trade paper Boxing news, showing my mate at work Dave Crossley the photo of Jack he remarked ‘good looking boy’ on showing my mum some film I had taken of my subject for this article ‘his not a bad looking bloke is he’, see everyone loves Jack from the young to the old, and it’s with the young that Jack works closely with, as he helps raise money for a children’s charity that helps children with various illnesses, conclusive proof that the saying ‘beauty’s only skin deep’ need not apply to the man from Margate has he is on both counts, last year at Jack’s effort versus Jamie Ambler, the brigade of charity workers holding buckets for Jack around the ringside, to help raise cash for Jack’s designated charity or has I noted in my report, “if only footballers followed by Jack’s fine example, Jack the Beckham of boxing? definitely! his better looking than David’s Beckham and fellow pin up boxer Haye, and with bigger balls and better look’s than Beckham, his more golden than golden balls himself!

So call him what you like, the Bond or the Beckham of boxing, but one things for sure girls, Jack bends it like Beckham if not better and that certainly would be a case of ‘for your eyes only!’

New Undisputed Middleweight champion, Sergio Martinez talks about his recent win over Kelly Pavlik

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According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, The historic heavyweight bout between former undisputed Heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield and Francois Botha slated for Uganda has been postponed and may be revived in the United States.

Holyfield’s Feb. 20 fight against Francois Botha in Kampala, Uganda, is off and plans are in the works to reschedule it, the former heavyweight champion told ESPN.com on Wednesday.

Holyfield was scheduled to face South Africa’s Botha in a 12-round bout at Nelson Mandela Stadium, where organizers predicted a crowd of 80,000. However, Holyfield said the promoter failed to make a scheduled payment, forcing him to scrap the idea of going to Africa.

“I’m not going over,” Holyfield said. “We’re moving the fight to the States, but they haven’t got a site yet. But I’m still supposed to fight Botha.”

Ken Sanders, Holyfield’s manager, told ESPN.com that Miami was a possible location for the fight. He also said that besides trying to reschedule the Botha bout, Holyfield would also fight April 24 in Las Vegas.

“But the guy never did come up with the money,” Holyfield said. “They were supposed to pay us before we went over there, put the money in an escrow account. And they missed the payment. Three months we been waiting and we never did get it. So we made the decision.”

“We sat down and had a good conversation and I asked Evander if he wanted to do this and he said he did,” Sanders said. “I asked his trainer, Tommy Brooks, the same thing and he said he’ll have no problem, that Evander just needed two or three weeks after the first fight and he’ll be ready to go for the second one. He’s already in great shape.”

Between Holyfield’s age — 47 — and the number of rounds he’s boxed professionally, it could be difficult for him to get a license in Nevada, where the commission has rigorous standards. However, Sanders said he was not worried about it.

“He’ll pass all the tests,” Sanders said. “I’m not concerned.”

Holyfield said he was looking forward to fighting in Uganda.

“I was kind of excited about it when they talked about 80,000 people,” he said. “The point is to be able to go to different parts of the world. The U.S. is a great place to fight, but it’s not the world.”

“There are so many places that want to have the fight,” he said. “We’re trying to find out the best place.”