Big-punching Britons Both Planning Knock-out Blows

Rarely in recent years has a world title fight involving British boxers provoked as much speculation within the sport over its outcome as the cruiser weight unification contest tonight at the O2 Arena between the Londoner David Haye and Swansea's Enzo Maccarinelli.

Such is the rivalry between these big punchers that parallels have been drawn with the two fights involving Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn in their middleweight and super-middleweight days in the early 1990s. Hype can be seductive, but tonight's fight could be a classic.

On paper the two men are well-matched and both have impressive physiques. Maccarinelli is taller by an inch at 6ft 4in although Haye is more heavily muscled. Intriguingly, both have questionable punch resistance and each has sufficient power to end matters with a single blow.

Haye, 27, is the narrow favorite. Priced between 8-11 and 4-7, he is the pick for those impressed by amateur pedigree. He was a silver medalist at the world championships in Belfast in 2001 and has carried his form well, by and large, into the professional ranks.

His detractors would suggest Haye's solitary defeat in 2004, against the veteran Carl Thompson, showed a weakness that Maccarinelli will expose. A weak chin and questionable stamina contributed to Haye's loss, by a fifth-round stoppage.

With some justification, Haye would argue that he has earned the right to be regarded as the world's No1 cruiser weight. "I beat the man who beat the man to win my titles. Who has Enzo ever beaten?" he asked on Thursday when he failed to meet Maccarinelli at a press conference called to publicize the contest, to the annoyance of the promoter Frank Warren.

But Haye's performance last November when he won the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council titles from France's Jean-Marc Mormeck again showed his frailties. Haye ended matters in the seventh round, but not before he had been floored heavily in the fourth.

Maccarinelli, 27, the World Boxing Organization champion, is a training partner of Joe Calzaghe and coached by his father Enzo Calzaghe. His best win came last year, on points, against the former WBC world champion Wayne Braithwaite, and his fearsome left hook is a weapon to match the right-hand "Hayemaker" of his opponent. One defeat on Maccarinelli's record, early in his pro career against Lincoln's Lee Swaby, is a blot on his reputation, but he has been well-matched since.

The old boxing adage that styles make fights would never seem more applicable than here, which is why 18,000 fans have paid up to £1,100 per ticket at ringside to make tonight's contest - due to begin at 2am because of the demands of US television - such a commercial success.

Both men say they will win by knockout. Haye's best chance would seem to be early when his punches are sharpest. Maccarinelli could assume control if he is able to ride out an early storm. Haye is favored to detonate the decisive punch, but a Maccarinelli points victory could be the surprise outcome if the favorite cannot find his target.

Samuel Peter, the big-punching Las Vegas-based Nigerian, has promised to knock out Oleg Maskaev when the Kazakhstan-born WBC heavyweight champion defends his title for the second time tonight at a bullring in Cancún, Mexico. "I'm going to knock you out. I'm going to eat you alive," said Peter.

David Haye

Height 6ft 3in

Weight n/a

Reach 81in

Neck 17in

Chest 42in

Chest exp 43in

Biceps 16in

Forearm 13in

Wrist 9in

Fist 11in

Waist 32in

Thigh 27in

Record 20-1

Age 27

Enzo Maccarinelli

6ft 4in

n/a

81in

16in

42in

43in

15in

13in

8in

11in

32in

25in

28-1

27