By Victor Salazar
Brooklyn, New York - Paulie Malignaggi (33-6, 7 KO’s), who has always been a critic of performance enhancing drugs and critical of Manny Pacquiao when it came to testing, made headway when he hired strength and conditioning coach Angel ‘Memo’ Heredia to be a part of his team in preparation for his bout with Danny Garcia this Saturday.
It was a chance encounter through Jean Pascal that brought the two together. Malignaggi knew the backlash he would receive because of Heredia’s past and his own past of critiquing guys that don’t get randomly tested. But Malignaggi brought Heredia on board so he could properly make weight and properly add on weight after the weigh-in.
“I don’t think you can increase power at this stage,” Malignaggi said to BoxingScene.com as to why he hired Heredia. “As I get older I was having trouble with weight and recovering after the weigh-ins. I wanted a guy that would help me replenish myself the right way. I’ve never made weight this easy. I can make weight this workout. I’m never that close to weight this close to a fight.”
Malignaggi says Heredia insisted that he be tested if he was to work with him.
“Memo approached me and said he could help me,” stated Malignaggi. “I didn’t think I would be fighting when he first contacted me. He contacted me during camp and said you could do whatever drug testing you want and in fact I encourage you to do the drug testing to avoid whatever backlash.”
Malignaggi and his opponent Garcia are using the United States Anti-Doping Agency to administer the random drug testing. Malignaggi is happy both men have submitted to testing even if the agency comes in at odd times.
“I’ve been tested 5 times,” said Malignaggi. “Danny’s been tested probably the same time amount as me. Danny’s been one of the pioneers of testing so it’s nice to fight a fighter who says he’s willing to do testing and actually does testing. I have no complaints in the process. Sometimes they show up at 6 am and they change your regiment but I rather things be clean among anything else.”