Big Mac retains the title

Enzo Maccarinelli completed a routine fourth defence of his WBO cruiserweight title with a fourth-round stoppage of Algerian Mohamed Azzaoui at the Millennium Stadium tonight.

The Swansea man landed a perfect kidney punch 58 seconds into the round which dumped Azzaoui to the canvas. Although he clambered up at the count of eight he was in no state to continue.

Maccarinelli had struggled to get into his stride against the elusive Algerian, who carried an unbeaten record of 24 fights into the ring albeit against much lower class opposition than the Welshman.

Azzaoui even enjoyed a little early success before Maccarinelli landed his first punch of note, a cracking left into the ribs in round two which was a sign of things to come.

A good right uppercut also wobbled Azzaoui in the third round but Maccarinelli’s attacks lacked their customary bite and the Algerian even enjoyed a few fleeting moments of success.

But Maccarinelli pounced in the fourth when he caught Azzaoui off-balance and ripped home the Ricky Hatton-style body shot to clinch a low-key victory which he will hope will lead to greater things.

“I’m enjoying this new-found stature as a ’boxer’,” Maccarinelli told Setanta Sports afterwards.

“I’d seen some tapes and knew I could out-jab him, out-box him.

“He was ranked with the WBO, WBC and IBF and undefeated and I thought I did a good job.

“In the Calzaghe stable Enzo trains us to fight and we adapt on the night. I watched a bit of footage but not too much. I’m pleased with the performance.

“The plan was to keep throwing the jab, a couple of right hooks to the body switched it to the the left, then back with the right and I threw a final shot which caught him and he had no chance of getting up from it.”