GWENT’S newest world champion Nathan Cleverly has dismissed Enzo Maccarinelli’s calls for an all-Welsh title showdown.

The Cefn Fforest star was crowned WBO light-heavyweight champion last week when German Juergen Braehmer was stripped of the belt.

And he came through his first defence on Saturday with a comfortable fourth-round stoppage win over Poland’s Aleksy Kuziemski.

Maccarinelli was ringside at London's O2 Arena and almost immediately called out his former Team Calzaghe stablemate.

“That's definitely a fight that's on the cards and what a big Welsh fight that would be – hopefully at Swansea's Liberty Stadium,” said the former WBO world cruiserweight champion Maccarinelli, now back training with Enzo Calzaghe in Newbridge.

Cleverly and his promoter Frank Warren have stated that they are targeting big American stars Bernard Hopkins, Chad Dawson and Tavoris Cloud but Maccarinelli believes that talk is premature.

“I don't think Frank Warren would put him anywhere near Bernard Hopkins,” said the Swansea fighter. “He's 46 years of age but he's still class. You saw the trouble he gave Joe (Calzaghe).

“Joe was the best fighter on the planet. Nathan is not the best fighter on the planet.

“I've said I never wanted to fight Nathan," he added. “He was a friend and an ex-teammate of mine but his dad (trainer Vince Cleverly) feels the need to put me down and belittle me in front of people so, yes, that would be a fight I'd like.”

Maccarinelli is likely to fight at light-heavyweight in July, possibly taking on Liverpool's Tony Bellew, who missed out on a chance to face Cleverly on Saturday as a late replacement after failing to pass a check weigh-in 24 hours before the scheduled fight.

Any clash with Cleverly would appear to be some way off, with the 24-year-old champion less than enthusiastic.

“I’ve heard he wants a crack but he’ll have to join the queue,” Cleverly told the Argus.

“He’s got nothing to offer me at the moment. He’s got five defeats on his record and he needs me a lot more than I need him. He needs to start from the bottom and prove himself again if he wants to take me on.”

Cleverly is likely to take one or two domestic defences, with a homecoming fight in Wales a strong possibility, before he looks to take on the American big guns.

“We’re looking at bigger fights than Maccarinelli," he said. “Hopkins, Dawson and Tavoris Cloud are all on our radar and I’d love to go over to America and prove myself there.”