By Ryan Burton
Junior welterweight Paulie Malignaggi talks to BoxingScene.com about his upcoming WBA title fight with Amir Khan. Malignaggi talks about the keys to the fight and says why Golden Boy is making a mistake in pitting one of their fighters against him again. The Brooklynite looks forward to fighting in New York for the first time in three years. Malignaggi feels that he is in his prime and at the top of his game and is ready to capture another world title on May 15th.
BoxingScene.com: How is training coming along for the Amir Khan fight?
Paulie Malignaggi: It is going good. We are putting in some good work man. I am feeling good and we are picking up the tempo little by little. I think we are going to peak at the right time.
BoxingScene.com: What do you think is going to be the key to the fight?
Paulie Malignaggi: Well obviously we are both speed guys. Amir seems to think that his power will be the difference. He is going to learn that on this level guys just don't go to sleep when you punch them. The one guy that he fought on this level was Andriy Kotelnik and he didn't go anywhere near going to sleep but unfortunately Kotelnik is a one dimensional type of fighter and he really only knew how to do one or two things so Khan neutralized him. He (Khan) is fighting a fighter like Kotelnik who isn't going anywhere but I know how to make adjustments to him so it is going to be interesting to see what he brings to the table. I know I got a lot for him.
BoxingScene.com: You have fought heavy punchers in the past like Cotto and Hatton. Does Khan's power concern you at all?
Paulie Malignaggi: The trick to Khan's power is that he hits you with shots you don't see. Any time a grown man hits another grown man he can always go down. If he gets hit with my power, okay maybe I am not as strong a puncher as some other fighters but I wobbled Juan Diaz in my last fight with basically an arm punch. I didn't even turn into the punch if you watch the replay. Anytime a grown man hits another grown man there is a chance they will get hurt. It shouldn't surprise anyone if he does get hurt. On the same token I can't just have the mentality oh I got a good chin and I have faced bigger punchers so I don't have to worry about the power. Any punch could be the one to get you out of there and having said that I don't go in there reckless but at the same time I come in with my game plan and I know if my chin does get touched that I will be able to stand it. Juan Diaz has a better chin than Amir Khan and I wobbled him with an arm punch like I said. All I am saying is don't be surprised if Amir Khan gets tested to his chin. I am not saying I am going to knock him out. Everyone knows Khan doesn't have an iron chin. The number two thing is that I played around after I wobbled Juan. If Amir gets wobbled or gets hurt like Juan then I am going to go for it and I will leave it at that. Anybody could go.
BoxingScene.com: You have a lot more experience than Khan in big fights. I mentioned the Cotto and Hatton fights plus you throw in the Diaz fights and the N'dou fights. How big a factor do you think your experience will play in this fight?
Paulie Malignaggi: It will only play as much of a factor as Amir wants it to play. I don't think it should effect Amir mentally at all. He has to come and fight his fight. For me I know I have been in there. I know I have been in the trenches. I know I have been in tough fights that I have won and tough fights that I have lost. I know how to go in the trenches and dig deep if I have to. On top of being battle tested and having a good chin I am also not scared to go in there and get my hands dirty if I have to.
BoxingScene.com: How does it feel to be fighting back in New York?
Paulie Malignaggi: It is exciting. It is always a good thing you know. The New York fans love me and I haven't fought in New York in three years so it is a great opportunity. Obviously fighting in Madison Square Garden in either the big arena or the small arena is an exciting time.
BoxingScene.com: Khan has a decorated amateur career but on his professional resume he doesn't have a real big name except a faded Barrera. Do you think he is overrated?
Paulie Malignaggi: I wouldn't say he is overrated. I don't even think the Barrera fight was the best name on his record. I would say Kotelnik is the best name on his record because he is a battle tested guy at 140 pounds. He had a solid amateur record himself and more than anything he was young. Barrera's best weight was at junior featherweight and he was about 100 years old when they fought. He was pretty much washed up when Amir fought him and he was out of his weight class no less. When you fight a washed up old guy who is no where near a weight class that was his best weight there really is no reason why you shouldn't take care of him. I am not going to say he is over rated because he has shown some good strength but there are definitely some chinks in the armor that are going to be there to be exposed on May 15th. Amir had a solid amateur career and I didn't have a terrible amateur career myself. I was on the U.S. National team and I won a U.S. amateur title. Your amateur career can only take you so far. You have to build your professional career and I think Amir has done that but everything happens in due time.
Amir is stepping up and I just think they are stepping up a little too far out of their element with me. I think its a little too soon for him and I think that will be bad news for him. Really I think its the mistake Golden Boy made with Juan Diaz. They thought I was shot and like I had said before I just needed a trainer (Sherif Younan is his current trainer) who knew what he was doing. I needed a trainer who understood me at all levels of my game. Once I got that I was a top fighter again like I was before Buddy (McGirt) and even where I was when I first started with Buddy. Obviously Golden Boy didn't recognize that and they put Juan Diaz in there with me. They almost messed up his career. I guess they still don't get it because now they are trying it with Amir Khan. It is what it is but on May 15th they will be disappointed once again.
BoxingScene.com: That was going to be my next question. Why do they keep picking you? Khan's mandatory is Maidana and evidently they don't want him fighting Maidana. Do you think they view you as an easier fight than Maidana?
Paulie Malignaggi: You know any time you got a guy at a world class level who doesn't have the biggest punch but comes with the reputation I come with I think it makes sense to want to test your guy out because you feel like maybe if he loses he loses a decision but he won't get smoked. If it goes the distance and even if he loses maybe he doesn't lose like Juan Diaz in the first fight with me. There is less chances to be taken when a guy isn't a puncher but I honestly feel that Amir Khan would handle Maidana because Khan is a much better fighter than Maidana unless he got clipped in the chin. All facets of Khan's game are superior to Maidana but people love punchers. It is not a bad thing. Punchers make things exciting but when you are rating a fighter for skill and at what level he belongs on you can't just go by punching power. You have to go by a lot of things. Punchers are definitely entertaining but not necessarily the best fighters.
BoxingScene.com: What are the fans going to see on May 15th?
Paulie Malignaggi: I am going to be a world champion on May 15th and I look forward to it. I can't wait till that date. Like I said people really thought I was shot. People continue to think that I talk out of my ass when I say that I just needed a trainer who knew what I was doing. At least who knew what he was doing with me. I am not saying Buddy didn't know what he was doing. He just didn't know what he was doing with me at all. I think we were polar opposites as far was what kind of style I fight and what kind of style he teaches. After two years with him unfortunately my career really took a big down fall. A lot of people will really never let go of those performances. They will say those performances with Buddy were the real Paulie Malignaggi. If they continue to think like that and obviously Golden Boy and Khan's people are thinking like that, then you are going to continue to be disappointed like Team Diaz when they fought me. Luckily for Juan he has a great fight coming up with (Juan Manuel) Marquez so he has a chance to rebound and I think he matches up much better with Marquez than he did with me. It is the same mistake that Amir Khan's team is doing. You are not fighting the same guy that fought Ricky Hatton, the same guy that fought Lovemore N'dou in the rematch or the guy who fought Herman Ngoudjo. You are fighting a Paulie Malignaggi who is at the top of his game right now. He has experience and he is still in his prime and he comes in very well equipped to take you out and if he doesn't take you out he comes very well equipped to teach you a lesson. That basically is what they are in for.
Send questions or comments to ringsidewriter@gmail.com
