BBC : Macca thwarted in unification bid

Steve Cunningham winning the title :-




IBF cruiserweight champion Steve Cunningham says he cannot meet WBO holder Enzo Maccarinelli next month.

The Philadelphian, 30, told BBC Sport Wales that he is still recovering from his last bout, but that he would meet Maccarinelli in September or October.

The Welshman is seeking an opponent for his rearranged 21 July date at the Cardiff International Arena.

Cunningham's position leaves ex-WBC champion Wayne Braithwaite as the main target for promoter Frank Warren.

"My main aim is to unify the division and Maccarinelli definitely interests me" Steve Cunningham.

Guyana-born Braithwaite, known as 'Big Truck', fights out of New York and holds a record of 22-2 (18 KOs).

The 31-year-old stopped Vincenzo Cantatore in Italy in 2002 to claim the title, holding it until he suffered his first professional defeat to Jean-Marc Mormeck two years later.

A controversial stoppage defeat from Guillermo Jones in his next bout saw Braithwaite stay out of the ring for two years, but he returned to stop Gustavo Enriquez in February.

On the undercard of Maccarinelli's 21 July show in Cardiff, Gavin Rees challenges for Souleymane M'Baye's WBA light welterweight belt and Alex Arthur takes on Koba Gogoladze for the WBO interim super featherweight title.

Gary Lockett, Derry Matthews, Paul Smith, Nathan Cleverley, Barrie Jones, Kerry Hope, Kenny Anderson, Don Broadhurst and Harry Miles also feature on the bill, along with Tony Doherty's defence of his Celtic welterweight title against Colin McNeil.

Philadelphian Cunningham, 30, won the IBF title on a split decision from Krzysztof Wlodarczyk in Poland last month.

I don't see anyone in the division to cause me problems, if I'm on top of my game nobody will touch me

The only blemish on his 20-fight record was when he dropped a controversial split decision to Wlodarczyk in his previous fight for the vacant title in November.

"My main aim is to unify the division and Maccarinelli definitely interests me," Cunningham told BBC Sport Wales.

"It doesn't feel right to have other guys walking around calling themselves world champions.

"I've seen plenty of film of Enzo and he looks pretty useful, that will be a good fight one day."

Bonymaen's Maccarinelli, 26, also has just the one defeat, a second-round stoppage to Lee Swaby back in 2000.

He made the second defence of his WBO title against Bobby Gunn in April, the first-round stoppage taking the Welshman's record to 26-1 (20 KOs).


Maccarinelli says he would be confident of overcoming any opposition in the division.

"It never bothers me who I fight. I never question the opponents Frank picks," said Maccarinelli.

"I don't see anyone there to cause me problems and I've seen them all - Braithwaite, Bell, Mormeck, Cunningham, Marco Huck and Wlodarczyk.

"They're good fighters but if I'm on top of my game nobody will touch me. We need to find out who is number one."


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