Frank Warren motivates Enzo Maccarinelli with Tony Bellew fight pledge

Maccarinelli fights Ukraine's Dmytro Kucher for the vacant title at London's York Hall in what likely represents his final chance of earning a shot at a world champion.

The 35-year-old Welshman last fought in December when stopping the once-great Roy Jones Jnr in four rounds, but has not held a world title since being stopped by David Haye in two in 2008.

Since then, however, and three further stoppage defeats, he has impressively rebuilt his career since working with trainer Gary Lockett.

He earned a fight with WBA light-heavyweight champion Juergen Braehmer in 2014, but was unfortunate when horrific swelling around his eye ended his night.

A potential fight with Bellew, 33, would prove problematic given the political divide between Warren and the champion's promoters Matchroom, but Warren says he would be happy for his fighter to appear on a Matchroom bill if it meant him getting that chance.

"All he wants is another shot at the world title, and then he can retire," Warren told Press Association Sport.

"Enzo's got a good boxing brain, good jab, and can punch, and if he catches Tony Bellew on the chin he won't get up.

"If he wins, he's European champion. Normally the European champion goes straight into the top five (in the rankings). It's two bangers, they both punch, it'd be a great fight while it lasted because I don't see it going the distance.

"I've asked him to retire on numerous occasions, but since he's been with Gary (Lockett), he seems to have had a lease of life, and more importantly sorted his defence out."

There have been suggestions that Maccarinelli would be reluctant to fight Bellew because he considers the WBC champion a friend.

The likelier fight for Bellew presently appears against Haye, but Warren is confident that if the offer was there Maccarinelli would take it and believes Bellew is incapable of defeating the heavyweight, regardless of any agreements regarding weight.

"All he keeps on at me is he wants a world title fight, he says 'I want one more go at it and then I'm out of the game'," he said.

"Friends fight, don't they? We've seen that happen time and time again. Richie Woodhall and Joe Calzaghe were friends: when that bell went, Woodhall fought like never before.

"There's no way Tony Bellew's going to be beating David Haye any day of the week. Is he going to give all that weight away? I doubt it. Can David Haye get down? I don't know.

"If it did, it'd be huge, but I don't see what Tony Bellew has got to beat David Haye. I don't think there's any cruiserweights who'd be able to give that weight away (to Haye)."