By Ryan Burton

Junior welterweight standout Paulie "Magic Man" Malignaggi talks about his recent victory over Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz in this BoxingScene.com exclusive interview.  The Magic Man talks about how he was able to control the fight and his future plans for 2010.

BoxingScene.com:  First off congratulations on the victory.  How would you grade your performance? 

Paulie Malignaggi:  I thought it was a good performance.  I thought I stuck to the game plan.  I thought I executed it pretty good but somewhere in the middle of the fight I kinda thought I had too much fun although it didn't cost me with Diaz. I always felt I was a lot a lot better than Diaz and as long as I executed the game plan I felt I would beat him.  I didn't like that a couple times I was clowning and I let it affect my focus.  I could have been punching when I was clowning and I missed out on a punch or two.  Because of that I give myself a B.  I would have gave myself an A because I executed the game plan perfectly but because of the clowning I say a B.  We did what we planned to do.  I beat him pretty thoroughly except for when I was clowning.  I clown all the time but there is a time and place for it you know what I am saying?

BoxingScene.com:  You hit him a hard right in the 6th round and it looked like you could have went in and got a couple more shots in but you clowned around instead.  Why was that?

Paulie Malignaggi:  I realized I stunned him and everything but I didn't realized how badly hurt he was.  When I fired a couple shots he covered up pretty well and he didn't stumble again.  I thought he was hurt a little bit but not too badly hurt.  The first time I went back in he blocked it and I thought maybe he wasn't that hurt and that is when I started clowning with him.  When I saw it on video I was like aww man he probably was hurt worse than I thought but obviously hindsight is 20/20.

BoxingScene.com:  Were you ever concerned the judges might hold your clowning around against you?

Paulie Malignaggi:  I really didn't.  I was in such total control man. It never really entered my mind.

BoxingScene.com:  I think that Diaz only threw 80 total punches through the first two rounds.  Were you surprised at his lack of punch output?

Paulie Malignaggi:  No I wasn't surprised.  I kind of knew that Diaz needs to be planted to throw punches.  A guy like me is always going to affect his output with my movement.

BoxingScene.com:  Do you feel that Diaz is tailor made for you?

Paulie Malignaggi:  Styles make fights you know.  The first time around I kept trying to tell people the fight was competitive in a lot of ways because of the advantages he was given.  Don't get me wrong I still feel I won the fight.  Besides the judges the ring was very small and I couldn't do a lot of the things I like to do because there wasn't any room to really box him.  The second time around I had more room to box him and his game plan changed.  It seemed that he didn't really have confidence in applying pressure and I was able to box him and take my time with him.  He did throw a little bit but he wasn't able to outbox me and deal with my foot speed.

BoxingScene.com:  Last time we talked you said you would want to fight Ricky Hatton again or Juan Manuel Marquez.  Are those still the fights you want?

Paulie Malignaggi:  Yeah.  I really want to fight Ricky Hatton.  Like I said to Max Kellerman in the HBO interview I say that with respect. I say that as a competitor.  I have a lot of respect for Hatton and his family but as a competitor I salivate at the chance to avenge that loss.  I feel like I could beat him thoroughly.  Marquez is a guy they are talking about him fighting next in his comeback.  That is why I said why don't you let me fight Marquez and the winner can fight Hatton.  Hatton beat me so easily then he should beat Marquez easily since his last loss for the so called critics.  I am telling you I am not the same guy before 08 and I am not the same guy after 08.  The proper changes were made and that is the reason why I am looking so much better.

BoxingScene.com:  With your new trainer and your renewed emphasis on using your footwork and speed how far can this version of Paulie Malignaggi go?

Paulie Malignaggi:  The sky is the limit.  The thing about the junior welterweight division that is so exciting is that is probably the deepest division in boxing.  I feel that welterweight has the biggest money makers and biggest names but I feel that junior welterweight probably has the most talent.  From one to probably ten or fifteen they are all probably dangerous fighters.  It makes it difficult to go out and win a world title but at the same time the money opportunities are in abundance in this weight class.  I think there are a lot of opportunities to make a name and build myself by beating some very good fighters.

BoxingScene.com:  Did you catch the replay of Bradley vs Peterson?

Paulie Malignaggi:  I saw the first half of it last night.  I didn't get to see it all.  Tim looked good.  It seemed like Lamont came out tight and didn't really get off early on.  I need to see the second half of the fight.

BoxingScene.com:  Do you have a message for the fans?

Paulie Malignaggi:  I want to just thank the fans.  Without them I wouldn't have had this opportunity for a rematch.  I told people there were three reasons I got this rematch.  One was my performance in the first fight, two was my tirade I threw after the first fight and three was the fact that the fans and the networks and the promoters really made this happen.  They said this was the fight the people really wanted to see again.  Take away any one of those three factors and I don't think I would have got the rematch.  The fans were a very intricate part of me getting the rematch.  I have to be thankful for that.  Even the people that weren't fans of mine but wanted to see the right thing get done I am thankful for as well.  I realize that I get under a lot of people's skin and I am the guy people love to hate.  I love playing that role believe me.  It is good to see people want to see the right thing happen.

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