Lebedev makes fast work of Maccarinelli
MANCHESTER, England -- Enzo Maccarinelli is considering retirement after being stopped in the third round by Denis Lebedev on Saturday, a third defeat in four fights for the former WBO cruiserweight champion.
Maccarinelli was outclassed by Lebedev (18-0, 13 KOs), whose series of unanswered left hooks made referee Terry O'Connor stop the contest at M.E.N. Arena.
The big-punching Maccarinelli (29-4) has been struggling to rebuild his career since losing the WBO title to David Haye last March in a second-round knockout.
"To be honest, I'm just devastated," Maccarinelli said. "I don't think I've got it anymore. I trained hard but nothing went right for me, I felt a bit gun-shy."
On a bill topped by 2004 Olympic silver medalist Amir Khan, a trio of Britain's Beijing competitors easily made it three wins out of three since turning professional, but created little entertainment.
Middleweight gold medalist James DeGale stopped Ciaran Healey at the end of the first round with a sharp left body shot, Frankie Gavin stopped Graham Fearn in the second round, and Billy Joe Saunders stopped Matt Scriven.
"It was all right, 6 out of 10," DeGale said. "I'm just practicing what I do in the gym in the ring, but maybe I only hit second gear."
Gavin, who knocked down Fearn twice to claim a third straight win, had his medal chances in Beijing ruined when he had weight problems going into the Olympics.
"That's the best so far," Gavin said, after finishing Fearn off with a left hook to the body. "I wasn't tense or loose, I was more relaxed and everything went perfectly."
Saunders, who lost in the second round in Beijing, stopped Scriven in the second round.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
