By Mark Vester
The trash talk continues between IBF junior welterweight champ Lovemore Ndou, 35, of Australia and Paul Malignaggi, 26, of Brooklyn, New York. The two fighters collide on June 16 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut. The fight will be the main event of HBO's Boxing After Dark telecast.
The two fighters have been trading verbal jabs in the press for the last few weeks. Ndou (45-8-1) recently told the media in Australia that Malignaggi (22-1) is talking tough because he's scared.
"When people talk like Malignaggi do, it's because they are scared and he is scared," Ndou said. "To me it's just a cry of bravado and people like that when they talk that way, just make me want to beat them up really bad and that's what I'm going to do."
Ndou, who already sparred over 200 rounds in training camp, wants to make a big impression against Malignaggi in order to make a splash in America.
"It's very important to me, I see this as a launching pad in America, I've got to go there and look good," Ndou said. "Not just win, but I've got to be impressive in winning. I'm going to go there and fight like I am the challenger. From now on everyone I'm going to fight will be trying to knock my head off, because they're trying to take my title away from me."
