Frenkel KOs Maccarinelli

Alexander Frenkel, a surging young cruiserweight, scored a frightening seventh round knockout of former WBO cruiserweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli yesterday in Birmingham, England. Frenkel improves his record to 23-0 with 18 KOs. Maccarinelli falls to 32-5 with 25 KOs. Maccarinelli has been stopped in all of his losses.

Frenkel, who is from Ukraine and fights out of Germany, traveled to Maccarinelli's home turf of Great Britain in the biggest fight of his career to date. Maccarinelli, who is from Wales, was firmly in the fight until the seventh. With 51 seconds to go in the round, Maccarinelli threw an ill-fated right that Frenkel ducked. Frenkel then generated a tremendous amount of force as he rose and connected with a dynamic left hook that sent Maccarinelli's head springing around and his body to the canvas.

At that point, referee Erkki Meronen should have stopped the fight. Maccarinelli gallantly stood up, but his legs had left him and his eyes were glazed. When the fight continued, Frenkel knocked Maccarinelli unconscious with an unmerciful one-two combination. The fight was finally stopped with 30 seconds left in the seventh round.

The win earned Frenkel the European cruiserweight title formerly held by Maccarinelli. It also created a large amount of buzz around the 25-year old. After piling up eight knockouts in a row, Frenkel won an easy unanimous decision over the hard-nosed Michael Simms last March. This impressive stoppage of a former champion should give Frenkel a shot at the cruiserweight division's best.

Mariano Plotinsky vs.Thomas Ulrich

March 7, 2009
Dresden, Germany
Freiberger Arena
WBO Inter-Continental light heavyweight championship

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part 2


part 3


Plotinsky: black and white trunks
Ulrich: black, white, and red trunks

Plotinsky Moving On

The boxing career of Mariano Plotinsky, 35, appears to be over. The Buenos Aires native has been struggling with degenerative arthritis in his left elbow. He had surgery after his last fight, but the injury hasn't relented.

Nicknamed El Demoledor, Plotinsky has a background in various combat sports. In the boxing ring, he amassed a record of 16-4 with 8 KOs, employing a brawling style. Plotinsky first became a prize fighter at the improbably late age of 28. After dropping his debut, Plotinsky won his next seven fights. The light heavyweight beat Mariano Ruben Diaz Strunz by unanimous decision to win the Argentina title in October 2008.

After fighting his entire career in South America, Plotinsky traveled to Germany to face Thomas Ulrich for the vacant WBO Intercontinental title in March 2009. Ulrich had challenged for a world title on multiple occasions and Plotinsky entered the ring as a significant underdog. But Plotinsky captured the belt in his more renowned opponent's home country thanks to an 11th round knockout.

Plotinsky received a chance to challenge for the WBO light heavyweight championship of the world last April against the beltholder Jürgen Brähmer. In the face of an onslaught by the taller more skilled champion, Mariano never once took a backwards step, exhibiting admirable courage and heart. Because of the elbow injury, the Brähmer bout appears to have been his last.

In his retirement from boxing, Plotinsky, who is married with children, will continue to train prospects in combat sports. Best wishes to Mariano and his family.

Women's Boxing Update

Women's IBF bantamweight champion Hagar Finer (21-7-3, 6 KOs) is scheduled to fight next on October 30, 2010 at Casino Rama in Rama, Canada. Finer has defended her belt twice this year, last beating Agnese Boza by 5th round knockout last April.

Fresh off her win last month, Emily Klinefelter (8-0, 3 KOs) is scheduled to jump into the ring on November 13, 2010 at the Johnson County Fairgrounds, the sight of her last three triumphs, in her hometown of Iowa City, Iowa. Klinefelter knocked out Savanna Hill inside of one round on August 27, the first win of her career against an opponent with a winning record.