Matthew Macklin beats Pintos, Pavlik next?

Middleweight Matthew Macklin (26-2, 18 KOs) defeated Uruguay’s Rafael Sosa Pintos (34-5, 14 KOs) by points decision at the National Stadium in Dublin on Saturday night to put himself on the cusp of a world title tilt next year.

Macklin dominated his game opponent, dishing out huge punishment over the ten rounds, and flooring his foe in the second, fifth and ninth rounds.

However, Pintos got back up each time and bravely fought on. Macklin stormed out in the opening five rounds, using right and left hooks to the body to get around the tight defense of his opponent. 

In the sixth and seventh he took a breather, but still pipped the rounds, before a strong final three stanzas punctuated an emphatic win. Referee Emile Tiedt scored the fight 99-88 to the former hurler.

After the fight Macklin’s promoter, Ricky Hatton, who sounded like he had enjoyed some Irish hospitality, said he would give up his promoter’s license if he couldn’t deliver a world title shot for Macklin in 2010.

But what is it that the Brummie Irishman covets the most? During fight week, Macklin described his fantasy match up.

"My dream would be to face (Kelly) Pavlik at Madison Square Garden on St. Patrick's Day," he said. 

Macklin will travel to Ohio on December 19 to see Pavlik defend his WBO/WBC titles against Miguel Espino and “make some noise.”

Macklin hurt knuckles on both hands and got a slight cut on his left eye that, but his confidence is sky high right now and he is very much looking forward to future battles.

He faces a mandatory defense of his European middleweight title against Russian Dmitry Pirog, but if manager Brian Peters and promoter Ricky Hatton could make a deal for a world title shot, the 27-year-old could relinquish his European belt and go for the big one.

New York-based Limerick middleweight Andy Lee (20-1, 14kos) was color commentating the fight for RTE, and when he was asked directly if he would be prepared to take on Macklin, he replied, “If I ever fought Matthew, and it is possible it might happen, it would be the biggest fight of my life. I would have to box the best fight of my life to beat him.

“It is something I want. I want to fight him. If it was down to me and him I think we would fight in the summer, but there are a lot of external factors like contracts and where the fight would be. But it is something that is on the horizon, and it is something that we are both up for.”

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Nster.com