Despite a decent performance and a fairly even fight through six rounds, the career of Enzo Maccarinelli may have truly come to an end today with a brutal knockout loss in seven rounds to Alexander Frenkel. Bad Left Hook had Maccarinelli ahead 58-56 at the time of the knockout.
Maccarinelli (32-5, 25 KO) never really got into rhythm, but his power still was there. He just didn't get Frenkel (23-0, 18 KO) clean too often, and was very wild. The knockout came suddenly and violently when Frenkel first knocked Maccarinelli down on a counter left hook that Enzo never saw coming.
The referee, defying logic, let Maccarinelli fight on as a sitting duck. Predictably, three punches later Maccarinelli was down again, including a nasty left hook that nearly took Maccarinelli's head off and knocked the Welshman flat out.
I don't know anyone who doesn't like Maccarinelli, and I consider myself a pretty big fan of his. He's a great guy, has come back from defeats that would have retired other fighters, and has done his best over a long career. But this is the fifth time he's been knocked out, and the scariest to date. Frankly, if he doesn't get someone out within three rounds, he's always in serious trouble. Once his gas tank empties, he's ripe for the picking, and Frenkel showed that again tonight.
Here's hoping that Maccarinelli decides to retire this time. There's nothing more to prove, and I think he's showed how brave and gutsy he is many times over. At this point, all that's left to do is get hurt in the ring, and nobody wants to see that.
Frenkel is now the European cruiserweight champion. Our live coverage of the Magnificent Seven continues here with the final fight of the show, featuring Matthew Macklin. After that fight, we'll have one more recap, then take a couple of hours off before the Mosley-Mora PPV at 9pm EDT.