Middleweight challenger back with an easy win
Sunday 28 September 2014 07:29, UK
Matthew Macklin got back to winning ways, producing the first away win out in Germany ahead of Paul Smith's world title crack in Kiel.
The middleweight was making his first appearance since last December and despite some understandable ring-rust, turned it on against Jose Yebes.
Macklin won comfortably on points over eight rounds and was out first so Joe Gallagher - who replaced Jamie Moore as trainer following the latter's shooting over the summer - could have a proper build up ahead of Smith's world title challenger against Arthur Abraham.
His familiar fighter has tried to win a middleweight world title twice and although he was blown away by Gennady Golovkin and out-pointed by Felix Sturm on his last trip to Germany, Macklin is looking for another shot.
It took him a few rounds to get going at something like full pelt and when he did he gave a reminder of just how slick he can be.
Yebes (12-5-1) might not be a world-title hopeful but he is durable, tough and hasn't been stopped - and he handled everything Macklin gave him in the first few rounds, most of it coming close-in.
It included a tidy left uppercut to compliment the trademark right as Macklin, stepped up his pace and started to control things from range. If there was any ring-rust for the Birmingham boy to deal with, it disappeared in the fifth, with a right, left to the ribs and clinical right finishing.
It came off not once, but twice, and with it, came the quality Macklin has always possessed.
Yebes kept going forward and that in turn brought the variety that took Macklin into two world-title challenges. At range he can still pop the jab perfectly and while he had a spring in his step, he stood his ground and brought the right uppercut in.
Maybe in the sixth and seventh, the time-out caught up with him, but it gave him the chance to box at distance again, which seemed to suit him perfectly.
The last round saw another precise left hook land with Yebes' gumshield flying out, underlining the fact Macklin (31-5-KO20) was not only a class above, but clearly back in sync.
Perhaps the rounds are what he needed most, but he also showed that he is now ready to push onwards and upwards again.