By Rick Reeno

What a month for Paulie Malignaggi. During the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao fiasco, Malignaggi was mentioned by both sides as a possible replacement opponent. Pacquiao passed and signed to fight Joshua Clottey on March 13. Mayweather has yet to make a decision for his next fight, but Maliganggi is one of several names in the running. If that wasn't enough, WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan enters into a promotional pact with Golden Boy Promotions and immediately targets Malignaggi as the opponent for his American debut.

Malignaggi would love to fight Khan. But he wants the fight to take place in a co-promotional setting. He knows the deal. Golden Boy is planning to make a big American push for Khan, and Malignaggi is concerned that his performance in the fight will get overlooked by the judges.

"I know [the proposed date of ] May 1 is a Golden Boy date and I'm not fighting on a Golden Boy date. Last year I fought Juan Diaz on a Golden Boy date and got robbed. Then I fought him on co-promotion and won. I'm not going to be used as an opponent on another promoter's show. Amir Khan is a not a star in the United States and he has to earn it like we all do," Malignaggi said to BoxingScene.com. "I'll fight him but give me the date and treat me fairly. I'm 29-years-old and I have plenty of time left in my career and I'm at a good point in my career."

When comparing their names on a recognition measuring stick, Malignaggi is confident that his name is more recognizable in the overall boxing realm.

"I'm more of star in England than Amir Khan is in the United States. I'm not saying I'm a star in England and Khan is not a star here but if you compare our notoriety, I'm more known in England than Khan is known in the United States. I think I fought the higher caliber of opponents overall. All of the fighters who beat me are former champions and the guy that beat him, Breidis Prescott, nobody knows who he is. I think Khan is a solid fighter but what's right is right," Malignaggi said.

Malignaggi is willing to do something that he believes Khan is clearly not willing to do - fight WBA interim-champion Marcos Maidana. The WBA has ordered Khan to defend the title against Maidana. If he refuses or takes another fight, the WBA will strip him of the title.

"Absolutely," Malignaggi answered when BoxingScene asked him if Khan was intentionally avoiding Maidana. "Without a doubt," Malignaggi continued as he voiced his opinion on Khan turning away from Maidana.

"What else is he doing? He has a mandatory and he's not fighting him. If Maidana was my mandatory, I would have fought him. If HBO puts up the money and gives me date, I'll fight Maidana right now. People think just because you can punch, that it means you can fight, but that's not the case. I'm up for fighting Amir Khan and I'm up for fighting Marcos Maidana."