10.03.08 Maccarinelli faces reality this morning

ENZO MACCARINELLI knows now that little hurts more than a Hayemaker. But the Welshman will feel the sting of pain even more this morning when the pages of his newspaper fall open to reveal images he never wanted his family to see.

If losing his WBO cruiserweight belt, failing to take the WBA and WBC belts on offer and being demolished inside two rounds by David Haye was enough distressing news for one night, the Swansea man freely admitted it doesn’t compare to what now lies in store for him.

“The distressing thing is that my kids will see the paper and see their daddy on the floor,” said Maccarinelli, whose wholesome image as a family man is completely at odds with Haye’s playboy status.

“That will hurt me much more than anything in the fight. My legs had gone, but I didn’t feel any pain.

“But when kids see their daddy lose it’s a big difference. They’re not used to it and it will hurt me so much more them seeing those pictures.”

At least the young Maccarinelli clan were tucked up in bed by the time their father took some savage blows just after a 2.30am start time to cater for a live American audience.

Maccarinelli’s own dream turned into a nightmare in the split-second it took Haye to send his crushing right-hand, aka the Hayemaker, through his defence and secure the “massacre” he had promised.

“I haven’t thrown my chin in the air in 12 weeks of sparring, but I made a mistake and he caught me. Simple as,” he said.

“He caught me with a shot, then another four or five, but I stayed on my feet and put my hands out on his shoulders.

“He landed another good shot and I tried to jump up too quickly.

“I should have taken the knee, but I haven’t been there for a long time.”

Instead of trying to re-scramble his senses with a count Maccarinelli bravely – and ultimately foolishly – tried to go again, but his legs didn’t respond and he lurched across the ring like a Dublin drunk, almost knocking over referee John Keane in the process.

Keane quickly stepped in to leave Maccarinelli soundly beaten after just 304 seconds and Haye pondering the untold riches to be made in the heavyweight division.

“I’m not looking at boxing into my 31st year, so I’ve got two and a half years to get the job done,” said Haye.

“If the titles get unified, then hopefully I’ll just have to fight one guy.

“But I’m 100% certain that I’ll achieve more things at heavyweight than I have done at cruiserweight.

“I’d fight (IBF and WBO heavyweight champion) Wladimir Klitschko in my next fight if I could after his pitiful fight against Sultan Ibragimov.

“That was embarrassing and he wouldn’t look forward to fighting someone with my kind of style – powerful, explosive and able to take him out with any shot.”

That was always the real concern for Maccarinelli, who had been favoured to capitalise on Haye’s suspect stamina and chin if the fight had stretched into the later stages.

But Haye (pictured with all three belts, left) had shown in the weigh-in that he was in prime condition for the fight.

Boxing is most definitely not a body-building contest (otherwise Mikkel Kessler would have relinquished Joe Calzaghe of his unbeaten record in November), but Haye cut an awesome physical specimen ready for war on Friday evening.

There was further foreboding when the dreadlocked Haye made a slow and measured approach to the ring, his arrogant posturing smacking of someone in total control of his destiny.

By contrast, Maccarinelli appeared nervous as the cheers which had greeted the introduction of former world heavyweight champions Evander Holyfield and Frank Bruno ringside turned to a cacophony of jeers. It was England versus Wales and Maccarinelli knew he was on foreign soil.

After all the hype about ‘Bombs Away’, the bombs were kept away as both men made cautious starts until Maccaranelli landed a left hook which made Haye stumble.

“I didn’t jump in like I should have,” said Maccaranelli.

“But when he caught me in the second round he capitalised on it and finished me off. He showed he was a good finisher.”

Haye admitted, though, that the quick conclusion was born out of necessity after he had been cut above his left eye in the second round.

“Once I realised I was cut I had to take a couple of risks and speed things up.

“As soon as I felt the blood trickle, Adam (Booth, his traine) said close the show, so I did.

“It was a 100 per cent punch. I remember it hitting me thinking, ‘OK, am I cut?’

“I thought it was a cut from the Fragomeni fight, but it was a fresh one.

“It was a good shot and I could feel his heavy hands, even with a couple of jabs.

“I felt his knuckles with the weight behind it. I had to make sure I didn’t cop too many of those.”

So as Haye lives the American dream, it is a time of quiet contemplation for Maccarinelli as he plans to bounce back from adversity.

Of course, he has done it before losing to little-known Lee Swaby in his third professional fight eight years ago, and he believes it will be even easier this time.

“That defeat was different because I boxed a boy who shouldn’t have been in my league and did things wrong,” he said.

“This time it was a top boy and I’ve got the drive to get back where I should be. I know I belong in the top league.

“If I’d been boxing my best and lost to a great champion – the No 1 in the world at the weight – I would have said I wasn’t good enough.

“But it’s not as if I’ve been beaten up for seven or eight rounds, I was holding my own and just got caught.”

The mental scars of the defeat, it seems, will soon disappear for Maccarinelli. It’s just a shame those pictures will be around forever.

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