Macklin stuns Elcock

14 March 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Matthew Macklin claimed the British middleweight title with a stunning third-round stoppage win over Wayne Elcock in Birmingham on Saturday night.

The 26-year-old Macklin knew that this was his big opportunity to take his somewhat stop-start career to another level – and he took it in impressive fashion.

He started very confidently, and scored with a number of big right hands in the opening round. His superiority was even more obvious in the following stanza, with Macklin showing impressive discipline as he hunted down a strangely lethargic Elock, who was offering little offensively.

Indeed, there was an air of inevitability about the stoppage, which arrived just under a minute into the third. Macklin rocked Elcock with a massive right hand which sent the champion stumbling back onto the ropes.

Macklin jumped on Elock, unleashing a vicious flurry of punches which eventually resulted in Elcock slumping to the canvas.

Incredibly, Mad Dog managed to raise himself but there was to be no escape and, after Macklin had resumed the onslaught, landing yet again with a huge right hook, the referee wisely called an end to the contest.