BOXING:Horrible eye injury ended Enzo Maccarinelli's bid

A horrible eye injury ended Enzo
Maccarinelli's bid to win the WBA light-
heavyweight title from German Juergen
Braehmer.
The Welsh challenger suffered a heavily
swollen right eye in the first round in Rostock
and although he fought bravely until the end of
the fifth, his trainer Gary Lockett retired his
charge on his stool, telling the referee: "I can't
let him go on, not with his face like that."
The 33-year-old has suffered a series of
stoppage defeats since his world
cruiserweight title showdown loss to David
Haye six years ago and the defeat is likely to
see further calls for him to retire.
The Swansea veteran felt he had another shot
at a world title in him and he started well,
standing up to the German despite picking up
the ultimately-decisive eye injury midway
through round one.
Two more punishing blows from the German
made the problem worse before the bell.
Maccarinelli's swollen eye was causing him
problems at the start of the second with his
vision now impaired, and Braehmer did his
best to take advantage, launching some
swinging hooks on his blind side.
The challenger was almost retired on his stool
at end of second round but he battled gamely
on, surviving the third round and then starting
the fourth on the front foot, landing a crisp left
hook that briefly rocked his opponent.
But still the eye injury remained - the swelling
now creeping down his cheek - and Lockett
warned his fighter than he had one more round
left before he had to throw in the towel.
That prompted Maccarinelli into one final
push at the start of the fifth, but he failed to
land a telling punch to end the contest and
Lockett called a halt before the start of the
sixth.
The defeat was Maccarinelli's seventh from a
45-fight career, while Braehmer improves his
record to 43 wins, also from 45 bouts.
The German said: "When you see it like that,
you want to hit it even more. That's boxing. I
caught him well with my left. Then I wanted to
be too spectacular. I wanted too much. It was
good that it ended then."