Enzo Maccarinelli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Enzo Maccarinelli
Maccarinelli (right) and Lebedev, 2009
Statistics
Nickname(s)	Big Mac
Rated at	Light-heavyweight Cruiserweight
Height	6 ft 4 in
Reach	74 in
Born	(1980-08-20) 20 August 1980 (age 44) Swansea, Wales
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	49
Wins	41
Wins by KO	33
Losses	8

Enzo Maccarinelli (born August 20, 1980) is a famous Welsh former professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 1999 to 2016. Enzo was a champion, holding the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) cruiserweight title from 2006 to 2008. He also won other important titles. These included the European and British cruiserweight titles between 2010 and 2012. In 2013, he won the Commonwealth light-heavyweight title.

Early Life and Boxing Start

Enzo Maccarinelli was born in Swansea, United Kingdom. His mother was Elizabeth and his father was Mario Maccarinelli. Mario had moved to Wales from Lake Garda in Italy in the 1950s.

Family Boxing History

Enzo's father, Mario, was also a boxing champion. He had won titles in the Italian army. He continued to box in South Wales as an amateur. In 1985, Mario took over the Bonymaen Amateur Boxing Club. He encouraged Enzo to start boxing from a very young age. Enzo began going to the gym when he was just four years old. He started training properly at eight and had his first fight at ten. Enzo also learned kickboxing and earned a brown belt.

Early Challenges

Enzo won his first youth title in the same year he started fighting. He won eight more titles early in his career. However, Enzo's lifestyle sometimes affected his training. He would often skip practice to spend time with friends. His father noticed this, saying Enzo "wasn't preparing himself properly". He also mentioned Enzo was "overweight as he wouldn't stop eating". But his father also knew Enzo was "something special".

As a teenager, Enzo worked as an apprentice bricklayer. He did this alongside his boxing after leaving school. He stopped this job after breaking a bone in his hand. This happened when a breeze block fell on it.

Professional Boxing Career

Enzo Maccarinelli became a professional boxer in 1999. He decided to work with a new trainer, Charlie Pearson. His father felt he couldn't push Enzo to be a world champion anymore.

First Fights and Challenges

Enzo's first professional fight was on October 2, 1999. He fought Paul Bonson at the Cardiff International Arena. Enzo won this fight by points decision. In the next four months, he won two more fights by TKO.

In his fourth professional fight, Enzo faced Lee Swaby. This was a surprise defeat for Enzo. He was expected to win easily. The fight was even shown live on TV. Enzo had started well and knocked Swaby down once. But Swaby stopped Enzo in the third round to win. Enzo later said this loss was due to his lifestyle. He admitted he was "drinking and eating junk food" before the fight. He also said he "believed his own hype". He watched the fight again many times to "keep his feet on the ground".

Enzo returned to boxing seven months later. He defeated Chris Woollas on points. From 2001 to January 2003, Enzo had a great winning streak. He won eight fights in a row.

Eye Surgery and Comeback

Before a fight against Valeri Semiskur, Enzo failed an eye exam. He later shared that he had poor eyesight since the start of his career. He had passed earlier medicals by having a friend take the test for him. This trick was found out when the eye doctor changed the test board. Because of this, Enzo had laser eye surgery. After his surgery, he defeated Semiskur by TKO in the first round.

Winning a World Title

On June 28, 2003, Enzo Maccarinelli fought Bruce Scott. This fight was for the WBU cruiserweight title. Enzo had a shaky start and was knocked down in the first minute. But he got back up and slowly took control.

First WBU Title Win

Enzo won his first WBU title in the fourth round. He knocked Scott out with a left hook. This made him the first boxer from Swansea to win a world title. Three months later, he defended his title for the first time. He stopped Andrej Karsten in the first minute of their fight. Because of his title win and first defense, Enzo was named the British Boxing Writer's Club young fighter of the year for 2003.

More Title Defenses

Enzo's second title defense was supposed to be against Carlos Cruzat. But Cruzat had to pull out due to injury. South African Earl Morais stepped in as a last-minute replacement. Enzo won this fight in the first round too. He stopped Morais with a left hook after 90 seconds. His promoter, Frank Warren, said Enzo was "one of the hardest punchers in the world".

In his third title defense, Enzo fought Gary Delaney. He knocked Delaney down seven times before the fight was stopped in the eighth round. This was the first time Enzo had fought past the fourth round. He successfully defended his WBU title seven times before giving it up.

WBO Cruiserweight Champion

On July 8, 2006, Enzo Maccarinelli fought Marcelo Fabian Domínguez. This was for the WBO interim cruiserweight title. Enzo won the title with a TKO in the ninth round. He was then set to fight the WBO champion, Johnny Nelson. However, Nelson retired due to injuries. This meant Enzo automatically became the full WBO champion on September 22, 2006.

Defending the WBO Title

Enzo made his first WBO title defense on October 14, 2006. He stopped Mark Hobson in the first round. This was a quick win, as many expected the fight to last longer. He had another first-round win against Bobby Gunn on April 7, 2007. The referee stopped the fight with 25 seconds left in the first round. Some people thought the fight was stopped too early.

On July 21, 2007, Enzo defended his WBO title against Wayne Braithwaite. He won by unanimous decision after controlling the fight. On November 3, 2007, Enzo successfully defended his title again. He defeated Mohamed Azzaoui by TKO in the fourth round.

Big Fights and Title Losses

Enzo's next big fight was against David Haye. This was a unification fight, meaning both boxers held titles and the winner would take them all. The fight happened on March 8, 2008, in London. It was called "bombs away" because both boxers were known for their powerful punches.

Losing the WBO Title

Enzo lost the fight and his WBO belt when he was knocked out in the second round. A right hand from Haye knocked Enzo down. He got back up, but he was unsteady. The referee then stopped the fight.

After this, Haye decided to move up to the heavyweight division. This meant he gave up his newly won belts. Enzo had a chance to win back his WBO belt. He was set to fight Jonathon Banks, but Banks got injured. Enzo then fought Matthew Ellis at heavyweight and won by KO in the second round.

Later, Enzo fought Ola Afolabi for the "interim" WBO title. Enzo was expected to win, but he was knocked out in the ninth round.

Lebedev Fight and Retirement Talk

Enzo's next fight was against Denis Lebedev on July 18, 2009. Enzo struggled from the start. By the end of the second round, his right eye was completely swollen shut. In the third round, Lebedev landed a strong uppercut. After more punches, the referee stopped the fight.

Before this fight, Enzo had said it was his "last chance" to get his career back on track. After the loss, he hinted that he might retire from boxing. He later confirmed this to a local newspaper, but then changed his mind.

Comeback and New Titles

Enzo began his comeback on December 5, 2009. He fought Krisztian Jaksi and won by KO in the first round. He had a second first-round KO win on March 13, 2010, against Zoltan Czekus.

European Cruiserweight Title

After these quick wins, Enzo fought Alexander Kotlobay on April 27, 2010. This was for the vacant European cruiserweight title. Enzo won his third quick victory in a row. He knocked Kotlobay down in the first round to win the title.

His first defense of this title was on September 18, 2010, against Alexander Frenkel. Enzo was doing well until he was knocked down in the seventh round. He got up, but he was very unsteady. The referee allowed the fight to continue, but it was stopped a few seconds later after more punches from Frenkel. Enzo was knocked unconscious. Many people criticized the referee for not stopping the fight earlier. After this loss, there were more calls for Enzo to retire.

Moving to Light-Heavyweight

After some time away from boxing, Enzo announced in February 2011 that he would not retire. Instead, he would move down to the light-heavyweight division. He also started working with his former coach, Enzo Calzaghe, again. Enzo hoped to fight for a world title at this new weight.

On November 18, 2011, Enzo had his first fight at light-heavyweight. He won by TKO in the first round against Gyorgy Marosi. He then said he still wanted to fight for a world title at 175 pounds.

In July 2012, Enzo was banned for six months. This was because he tested positive for a substance called Methylhexaneamine.

Return to Cruiserweight and Final Retirement

In 2015, Enzo Maccarinelli returned to the cruiserweight division. In December, he knocked out Roy Jones Jr. in the fourth round in Moscow. In June 2016, he fought Dmytro Kucher for the vacant European cruiserweight title. He lost by TKO in the first round. After this fight, Enzo announced his retirement from boxing.

Professional Boxing Record

See also

In Spanish: Enzo Maccarinelli para niños

• List of Welsh boxing world champions