Macklin eyes world title shot

01 July 2008 – by Mark Doyle

Matthew Macklin believes that re-signing with promoter Frank Warren has boosted his hopes of securing a world title shot.

The Birmingham-born middleweight had been working with Brian Peters and was scheduled to fight Willie Gibbs on the undercard of Bernard Dunne’s next outing, at the National Stadium in Dublin on Saturday week.

However, Macklin pulled out of that fight to link up once again with Warren and will now take on Francis Cheka on a July 19 card in his home town of Birmingham which also features Audley Harrison’s clash with Martin Rogan, as well as the return of Enzo Maccarinelli.

Peters will reportedly remain on as Macklin’s manager but he is now being promoted by Warren, something the affable 26-year-old believes will propel him to great things.

“I’ve always dreamed of winning a world title, and I believe I can make my dream come true in the next two years,” Macklin stated.

“I know with my ability and Frank Warren’s connections, I’ll soon be making my way up the world rankings.

“Kelly Pavlik is obviously the man at middleweight at the moment, but I’m not sure how long he is planning to stay around. And when he moves up, I’ll be in a position to take advantage.”

Macklin also admitted that even though he enjoyed his recent trips to Ireland, he is extremely excited by the prospect of returning to Birmingham.

“I’ve not had the chance to fight in front of my own fans too often, so when Frank offered me the chance to box in front of my home fans, I jumped at it,” he admitted.

“I’ve shifted hundreds of tickets already, and the fans in the Midlands are some of the most passionate in the world, and I won’t be letting them down when I fight Cheka.”