By Keith Idec
Photo © Ed Mulholland/FightWireImages.com

NEW YORK - Paulie Malignaggi admitted after his most recent win that fighting Feb. 17 was more about restoring some confidence than anything.

The brash, Brooklyn-bred junior welterweight contender hadn't fought since a brutal bout against Miguel Cotto eight months earlier. He had a surgically reconfigured face. And much like his convincing victory over Donald Camarena a year earlier assured him that his reconstructed right hand would withstand 10 rounds, Malignaggi needed to defeat Edner Cherry and strengthen his psyche more than he had to impress people during his HBO debut.

Malignaggi comfortably out-pointed the respectable Cherry, but acknowledged in the immediate aftermath that his safety-first approach throughout the 10-round fight at Manhattan Center's Grand Ballroom amounted to mostly boring boxing.

This flashy fighter knows, though, that he cannot afford another pedestrian performance Saturday night. Simply winning won't suffice against Australia's Lovemore N'dou, despite that a win would fulfill

Malignaggi's dream of becoming a world champion. The former New York Golden Gloves champion must entertain, too, especially if he wants to become a more marketable commodity capable of landing another high-profile fight.

"Paulie has a double task here - one to try to claim a world championship, and two to do it while also looking good in the ring," said Lou DiBella, Malignaggi's promoter. "We've seen a lot of fights recently when boxers have prevailed and the fights haven't looked so wonderful in the ring. Paulie's a showman and his job here is not only to win this fight, but to do it in style and to turn on the public."

The 26-year-old Malignaggi (22-1, 5 KOs) wants to box unbeaten British brawler Ricky Hatton (42-0, 30 KOs). But it isn't just Hatton's highly anticipated showdown with Mexico's Jose Luis Castillo (55-7-1, 47 KOs), scheduled for June 23 in Las Vegas, that might damage Malignaggi's gameplan. He, too, will face an imposing opponent when he encounters N'dou at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. (9:30 p.m.; HBO).

"If (Malignaggi) wins this fight, there's going to be no shortage of huge opportunities," DiBella said. "But I don't want him looking past this fight. Because if he does, Lovemore N'dou might just slap him around. I want Paulie to be focused on (Saturday night), win that title and then we'll make a lot of money."

"The Magic Man" must focus Saturday night on out-landing, out-moving and frustrating a high-volume puncher who will relentlessly pressure the light-punching Malignaggi throughout the scheduled 12-round bout. Otherwise, the main event of a "Boxing After Dark" broadcast could become another extremely difficult fight for Malignaggi, who has faced an overall lower level of opposition than his 35-year-old opponent.

N'dou (45-8-1, 30 KOs) isn't as strong as Cotto (30-0, 25 KOs), but he hasn't been knocked out during his 14-year pro career and Malignaggi's extremely low knockout percentage indicates he'll have to out-think the sturdy South African-born boxer to take N'dou's International Boxing Federation 140-pound title.

Regardless, Malignaggi seems certain that they won't have many problems producing entertainment.

"This guy presses the action so much, it's going to leave me no choice but to make it an action fight, let my hands go and blaze him with combinations," said Malignaggi, who will fight for just the second time with trainer James "Buddy" McGirt in his corner. "The styles are going to clash, and believe me, it's going to make for an exciting fight."

N'dou doesn't think Malignaggi should get too excited about the thought of making his first defense of the IBF belt. While virtually every boxing observer thought Malignaggi legitimized himself as a championship-caliber fighter against Cotto, N'dou dismissed Malignaggi's resume.

"I don't believe," N'dou said, "that Paulie is in my league."

N'dou's taunts offended the flamboyant Malignaggi, who is much more humble than his public persona projects.

"I don't like the guy," Malignaggi said. "I don't like the way he disrespected me, I don't like the way he's treating like I'm some young chump. I'm going to clown him all night and you're going to see the results."

One Internet sports book installed Malignaggi as nearly a 3-1 favorite in the bout, but Cotto can see N'dou defeating the faster, hungrier, younger fighter. In fact, before Cotto stopped Zab Judah in the 11th round of their fan-friendly fight Saturday night at a sold-out Madison Square Garden, Cotto considered N'dou the roughest opponent of his six-year career. Colombia's Ricardo Torres (31-1, 27 KOs) nearly knocked out Cotto, but it was a narrow win against N'dou in a 12-rounder three years ago that Cotto recalled as his most troublesome bout.

"N'dou is a really tough fighter," Cotto said. "But Malignaggi moves pretty good when he wants. If Malignaggi doesn't get tired, then he's going to win. But if not, if he's getting tired, he's going to lose by knockout with N'dou."