Boxing:Matthew Macklin's quest to become a middleweight world champion continues in Dublin next month with a December 5th bout against Uruguayan Rafael Sosa Pintos at the National Boxing Stadium.
Macklin’s stock has risen rapidly in the last year with quickfire wins over Birmingham rival Wayne Elcock for the British title and then Finn Amin Asikainen for the continental crown.
In fact, those two fights combined lasted under 10 minutes, the former having been won in the third round, the latter in the first.
Sosa Pintos, the Uruguayan champion, has 34 wins from 38 bouts, but the last year has not been anywhere near as good to him as it has been to Macklin.
Two of his four career defeats have come in five fights since last November. The first was a unanimous decision after 10 rounds in favour of former Australian rugby league player Anthony Mundine in New South Wales, while the second was a third round stoppage in front of his home crowd at the hands of Argentinean Marcos Hector Vergara.
He bounced back from that in August by knocking out fellow Uruguayan Wilson Enrique Galli in the seventh round to claim the vacant national title and has defended it once since.
Macklin, a Birmingham fighter with Irish parents, last fought in Dublin in March 2008 when he beat Yory Boy Campos on points at the National Stadium. He is not taking anything for granted but is keen to replicate his UK form for an Irish audience this time round.
“When I look back at my fights to date my best performances haven’t always come in Ireland but they’ve been the fights I’ve enjoyed the most, from the whole pre-fight build up to the atmosphere at the fights themselves," said the 27-year-old. "Then I always like to spend a few days in either Roscommon where my Dad’s from or Tipperary where my Mum’s from after the fights.
“Hopefully I can go on to win a world title for Ireland. I was born and raised in Birmingham but I’ve never lost touch with my routes and I definitely consider myself an Irishman first and foremost.”
Macklin’s is now at the right end of WBO, IBF and WBC rankings, at fourth, fifth and eighth respectively, though it’s the recognition of
Ring Magazine
that makes him most proud.
“Obviously the world ratings show that I must be doing something right.
Ring Magazine
has me at number six in the world now at middleweight and every time I see that I nearly have to pinch myself because I remember as a kid I used to be able to rattle off the Ring’s ratings almost by heart.
“You knew if a fighter was ranked by the
Ring
then they had to be a really, good fighter so even getting in to the
Ring
ratings is a little milestone in itself for me.”
Macklin also has a European defence against Dmitry Pirog pencilled in for the New Year. A win over the Russian would further enhance his reputation and world title shot would not be far off, according to manager Brian Peters.
“Matthew’s knocking on the door for a world title shot now. Kelly Pavlik aside, there’s nobody lighting up the middleweight division right now and even Pavlik has had his problems with injuries and inactivity, so I think Matthew’s current world ratings are well deserved and a true indicator of his achievements this year.”
Peters will be by Paul McCloskey’s side tomorrow when the Derry light welterweight weighs in against Spaniard Daniel Rasilla ahead of Friday’s European title fight.
McCloskey is undefeated and looking to become the first Derryman to win a European title in over 30 years when he takes on Rasilla (15-2-0) at the Meadowbank Sports Arena in Magherafelt.
