Okolie vs Chamberlain: Enzo Maccarinelli recalls his own British battle with David Haye
And both fighters offer advice to Okolie and Chamberlain.
Saturday 3 February 2018 22:17, UK
Ahead of Lawrence Okolie's 'British Beef' battle with Isaac Chamberlain, we asked Enzo Maccarinelli to recall his own cruiserweight clash with David Haye in 2008.
The London duo will put unbeaten records on the line at The O2 on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports, and we are approaching the 10-year anniversary of when two other domestic rivals shared a dramatic evening at the very same venue.
Haye's WBC and WBA world titles were at stake against WBO champion Maccarinelli in a unification clash, with the added incentive of national pride.
Live Fight Night
We asked Maccarinelli to look back on his huge domestic fight with Haye...
Why did you decide to face Haye at this stage of your career?
There was a lot at stake, the two of us at the time didn't have to fight each other. For the money I earned, we could have had two relatively easy fights for that. But I was never one to try and swerve anyone.
I knew the dangers. Not many people wanted to fight David Haye, but I don't see fear, I'm quite dopey that way. We wanted to fight each other and prove who was the best.
How big would the fight have been if it was staged 10 years later?
Can you imagine the money you would have made in this day and age? If you think about two world champions, WBO and WBC, WBA, first unification fight between two British boys, two massive punchers, two entertaining fighters, it makes me think how much money we would have made.
What can you remember about the big fight build-up?
It was mad. I don't want to talk too much about it, but certain things went on in the week of the fight. With myself, certain things happened, but I don't really want to talk about it. Something happened, I shouldn't have gone through [with the fight], I did go through. I don't blame anyone. I don't use it as an excuse.
I made a few mistakes. I travelled to London for the press conference, I travelled back home, then I went back up for the next day for the weigh-in.
Certain people know, but I won't make an excuse, because no one made me. Whether it would have been any different, I do not know. He hit that hard, he was that good. I would have just given myself a better opportunity.
Did you think Haye would struggle with the weight limit?
He done the weight well. He hydrated massively overnight, which I didn't. If I look back at my career, I should never have been a cruiserweight. I was always coming in at 13st 7lbs, 13st 8lbs. The cruiserweight limit was 14st 4lbs, I was just a fat light-heavyweight.
I knew nothing about nutrition. But then do I say I should have been a light-heavyweight? I won a world title as a cruiserweight.
Describe the experience of walking out at The O2?
It was like England-Wales. It was just a mad atmosphere. It was two o'clock in the morning, which didn't do me any good. It was the same for both of us, but he handled it a lot better than I did. It was a mental atmosphere, the whole build-up was nuts.
If you had that night again, what would you do differently?
There is a lot of things I would have done differently. I didn't follow the game-plan.
Why was your friend Joe Calzaghe so frustrated?
He knew certain things were going on as well, he knew. I look back and if I had to change one thing - I wouldn't have been so pig-headed - and I would have put it to another date. I'm not taking anything away from him, he beat me.
What advice would you give to Lawrence Okolie and Isaac Chamberlain?
Maccarinelli: Keep your head. I do believe this fight on Saturday, the winner is the one who handles it better. They are relatively young, they are inexperienced, and they are going out there in front of a crowd of 8,000, 9,000 which they have done before, but not all have come to see them.
They are the main event and the main show on TV. It adds a lot of pressure and whoever handles that pressure better is the victor.
Haye: Whoever deals with the pressure, because fighting at The O2 makes a difference, it really does. There is fighting at York Hall in front of 1,200 people and there is fighting in front of tens of thousands of people at The O2. It's a cauldron.
I believe Okolie, having that Olympic experience, fighting on that world class stage as an amateur, I think that will give him that advantage going into this fight. But having said that, both fighters are tremendous athletes, undefeated and I'm really looking forward to this fight.
Watch Lawrence Okolie vs Isaac Chamberlain, from The O2, London, Saturday, February 3, live on Sky Sports Main Event & Action.
