Vince Cleverly: Was desperate Enzo tempted to cheat?

Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor

Fellow-Welshman comments on Maccarinelli rumours

WBO light-heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly’s father Vince has spoken to WBN following internet rumours that touted future opponent to his son, Enzo Maccarinelli has recently failed a doping test.

Cleverly, who has guided his son to three successful world title defences and an unbeaten 24-fight record, believes that any fighter who finds their skills deteriorating could be vulnerable to making a career-ending mistake.

“When a guy is desperate to get back the good years I think he's always tempted to cheat a bit in some way,” Cleverly told World Boxing News.

“To be honest, I don’t think Maccarinelli is capable of cheating, but when a man’s career nose dives who knows what their capable of as they have nothing to lose.

“Anybody getting caught using illegal substances should be banned. It’s not fair on the hard working genuine guys like Nathan.”

The UK-Anti doping agency have today told WBN that their policy is not to comment on whether any athlete has provided a positive or negative sample until all the avenues of appeal have been covered for the participant.

Even if the results/rumours are in favour of Maccarinelli, he will find it tough to scrub out the stains that even a rumoured test failure can bring and the former cruiserweight king may have now seen any chance of an all-Welsh world title fight fade away.

The Tragedy of Billy Collins Jr.

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor Collins after the fight Williams Ray Collins Jr. or Billy Collins Jr. as he became known, was born to a boxing father in Antioch, Tennessee in 1961. His father William Sr, once fought Welterweight Champion Curtis Cokes and wanted his boy to follow in his footsteps, so decided to train Billy himself. Collins Jr. turned pro in 1981, a welterweight, just like his father before him and impressively won his first 14 professional contests, 11 by knockout with eight inside the first three rounds. It was 1983 and Billy was matched up against Puerto Rican journeyman Luis Resto on the undercard of Roberto Duran v Davey Moore at Madison Square Garden in a ten rounder. Resto wasn’t known for his punching power but Billy took a sustained beating for the full ten rounds, his face, badly damaged and his eyes were almost shut. After the fight, which Resto won on decision, Billy’s father shook Resto’s hand and noticed there wasn’t much padding in his gl...

Rico Ramos captures world super- bantamweight title with KO

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor ‘Suavecito’ scores 20th straight win over Shimoda Undefeated Californian Rico Ramos produced a world-class left hand in the seventh round of his WBA title challenge against Japan’s Akifumi Shimoda to rip the belt away from the older southpaw in his first defence. The 24 year-old looked far from a world champion in the first five rounds, only gaining a foothold in the fight in round six, but ultimately produced the equalizer in the seventh to take the crown. Shimoda, 26, will be furious with himself as he bossed the majority of the fight and was up five rounds to one on my card going into the seventh round. One lapse in concentration with only thirty seconds left in round seven and Shimoda hit the canvas. The champion tried to get up at the count of nine, but stumbled over and the referee counted him out. The now former champion stayed down for a full minute before being helped to his feet and realising he no longer held the WBA belt. Also on the card i...

Private invegstigator: Arturo Gatti death clearly not suicide

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor An investigator hired by boxing legend Arturo Gatti’s manager Pat Lynch have given his verdict after a thorough investigation into the death of the two-weight world champion, who died in Brazil in 2009. Chicago-based P.I Paul Ciolino has put his findings into a detailed report, which will be released on August 30 th , but gave his opinion to New Jesery-based newspaper The Jersey Journal after a ten-month operation. Gatti died aged 37 whilst on holiday with his wife Amanda Rodrigues and his young son in north east Brazil and after an investigation by the Brazilian authorities was deemed a suicide. Brazilian police had said that the exciting prize fighter was drunk and depressed and used his wife’s purse strap to hang himself whilst his wife and son slept upstairs, which Ciolino totally disagrees with. "I think that when we get done with the press conference it will be pretty clear it was not a suicide," Ciolino told The Journal. ...

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