By Mark Vester
Paulie Malignaggi is taking some shots at Amir Khan's lack of a name in the United States. Malignaggi takes on Khan for his WBA junior welterweight title on May 15 at New York's WaMu Theater in Madison Square Garden. Malignaggi feels embarrassed on the streets when he has to explain to people who Khan is.
"[Khan is] not known in the US yet. He hasn't fought in the US yet so how are they going to know him? Every time I fight, people come up to me and say, 'Hey, Paulie, who are you going to fight?' and I say Miguel Cotto or Ricky Hatton or Juan Díaz and they go 'Wow'. But when I saw this guy's name, they say, 'Who's that?' They ask is he a contender and I have to tell them he's a world champion," Malignaggi told The Guardian.
He wants to help Khan with the name building. Malignaggi plans to make Khan known for taking a bad loss in his US debut.
"I guess everything is about building blocks and he's going to get beat on 15 May – then everyone will know who he is. Then, when he comes back to America, people will have heard of him because I've beaten him," Malignaggi said.
"Everything is steps, man, and he hasn't taken anyone in America yet. There's nothing to separate us. We're both quick and move well and it will come down to who is better on the night."
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