Published: 19 July, 2009, 10:01
Edited: 19 July, 2009, 10:01
Russian cruiserweight Denis Lebedev has claimed the vacant WBO Intercontinental title, after gettng the better of former WBO cruiserweight champ Enzo Maccarinelli, fightnews.com reports.
The bout lasted only three rounds before Lebedev (18-0, 13 KOs) brutally stopped his opponent.
Maccarinelli (29-4, 22 KOs) was never down, but a series of unanswered left hooks by the Russian made the ref wave the fight off.
The loss may well put an end to the career of the Welsh boxer, who vowed to retire if Lebedev beat him.
Maccarinelli 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. I don't think I've got it anymore. I trained hard, but nothing went right for me, I felt a bit gun-shy,” Maccarinelli said to AP news agency.