By Carlos Irusta

This Saturday, July 8th, Marcelo Fabian Dominguez, former WBC cruiserweight champion will have a new chance to become champion again. The fight will be held at the Millennium Stadium of Cardiff, Wales, against Enzo Maccarinelli, the WBU cruiserweight champion. The fight will be for the interim World Boxing Organization belt. The champion, Johnny Nelson, is out of the scene with an injury.

What carries Dominguez for this bout? At 36, the man called “El Gordo” (Fat man) has a concrete chin and a lot of experience, more than his opponent. While Maccarinelli is 23 (17)-1-0, Dominguez has 47 bouts, 40 wins (19 KO), 5 losses, 1 draw and 10 world title fights under his belt. Some of his opponents include Anaclet Wamba, Patrice Aouissi, Juan Carlos Gomez, Johnny Nelson, and Nikolay Valuev, who defeated him in 8 rounds, by points.

Dominguez has fought not only Valuev but also other heavyweights such as Fabio Mole and Mariano Ocampo. Argentinean, South American and Latino (WBO) heavyweight champion, he has trained hard for to be a cruiserweight again.

“I know this can be my last chance for to be a world champion, so I must put all of me in the ring”, says Dominguez. “I don’t know very much about Maccarinelli, but he is a young boxer, with not great names in his record. But of course I respect him. I think I am in a moment of my pro life that I can do everything better than ever, but for to demonstrate this, I must win on Saturday, and I hope to get that belt…”

Dominguez lost his crown in Mar del Plata, Argentina, defeated by points in 12 on February 21, 1998. The bout was to close for a decision for the challenger, and in the rematch, Dominguez was very near to win it (Gomez was very hurt) but he lost by decision at Lubeck, Germany on March 13, 1999. On July 21st, 2001, Dominguez was defeated by Johnny Nelson, and was the fight was over, Dominguez said: “Good-bye to boxing, it’s all for me”. He returned the following year. “I never lost the Eye of the Tiger, that’s the reason. If I must climb a ring thinking in the money not in the glory, it will be my end. I’m still dreaming with glory, that motivates me”.

This Saturday, he will have a new chance. And, knowing the heart of Dominguez, we are sure he will fight until the end, like a real warrior he is.