Macca will beat Nelson - Calzaghe Nelson promises Macca KO

WBO cruiserweight champ Nelson and WBU king Maccarinelli will be chief support for Joe Calzaghe's super middleweight unification clash against Jeff Lacy.

Promoter Frank Warren said: "I am delighted to add the fight to an already super show.

"Enzo is the bright young star in the division with a massive punch who feels he is ready to challenge Johnny."

Calzaghe has backed Welsh compatriot Maccarinelli, 25, to step up from the relative backwater of the WBU belt and enter the big time by knocking Nelson off his perch.

Sheffield's Nelson, 38, has made 13 successful defences of the more recognised WBO title, and many believe that he will have too much experience for his Swansea-born opponent.

I was fighting for a living whilst Enzo was still a snotty-nosed six-year-old Johnny Nelson

"I've been ready to fight Nelson for the last two years and I know that I can knock him clean out," Maccarinelli said.

"He has always backed off from fighting me and has come up with excuses that I'm not experienced enough and that he would knock me out, but we will find out on the night.

"Johnny's been a good champion for the last six years and he's a nice fella, but this is business and I'm going to knock him into retirement - permanently."

Maccarinelli is the WBO's number one challenger, but Nelson is still confident of keeping his crown.

"Enzo's one of the most exciting prospects in the division, but I'm afraid it will end in tears for him on the night," Nelson said.

"He must realise that in my time I have mixed and dealt with a better, harder and more experienced class of opponent than he has ever faced.

"I turned professional in 1986 and was fighting for a living whilst Enzo was still a snotty-nosed six-year-old playing in the garden with his Action Man!"

The fight promises to be the perfect warm-up for the clash at the MEN Arena between WBO super middleweight champion Calzaghe and IBF belt holder Lacy.