ENZO Maccarinelli has called time on his boxing career following his first-round defeat to Ukraine's Dmytro Kucher in their European cruiserweight title fight.

The Swansea fighter, 35, began with reasonable promise as he landed his jab, but having been left unsteady by a powerful left hand was heavily sent to the canvas by further lefts and rights.

Former world champion Maccarinelli had done much to revive his career, since working with Cwmbran trainer Gary Lockett, having suffered a run of four stoppage defeats in eight fights starting with the 2008 loss to David Haye. The latest loss, combined with his age, left him with few remaining options and he duly announced his retirement on his Twitter account.

He Tweeted: "Sorry guys felt OK in there then got tagged absolutely devastated I had to end my career like that."

Maccarinelli, a former stablemate of Joe Calzaghe in Newbridge, made his first professional outing at Cardiff Ice Arena in 1999 when he beat Paul Bonson.

He won the vacant WBU cruiserweight title in 2003 and WBO belt in 2006 while he has also held the European and British cruiserweight and Commonwealth light-heavyweight titles.