Enzo Maccarinelli destroys Russian in one to take Euro title

Enzo Maccarinelli has revived his career in the most dramatic way possible this evening by stopping Russian Alexander Kotlobay in 135 seconds to grab the vacant European cruiserweight title.

After a couple of lefts to the body, the Welshman hit the St Petersburg man with a cracking right, felling him in the process.  Kotlobay rose and upon backing into a corner, Maccarinelli picked his shots - a right uppercut and left hook made the Russian's legs wobble and referee Erikk Meronen halted the action.

Although Kotlobay had fought no one of note, he was 18-1-1 going in and had never been stopped.  Fighting in his home city's Yubileiny Sports Palace, he was favoured on paper against former WBO champ Maccarinelli who suffered consecutive reverses in 2009 against Ola Afolabi and Denis Lebedev before being eased back with two first round stoppages.

Few, if anyone, expected the very likeable Swansea man to get a third first-round stoppage on the bounce.

Wow.  Notch up another European title for Britain!  We now have an incredible ten European titlists and if John Murray v Gary Buckland goes ahead as scheduled, the tally will increase once again.