Paul Malignaggi Enjoying Life In The Slow(er) Lane
Oct 15, 2011 • 1:00 AM ET
By Jake Donovan
As far as former 140 lb titlist Paul Malignaggi is concerned, the challenge that lies ahead isn’t the attempt at making another championship run.
It’s getting used to life 3,000 miles away from what in his heart still remains home.
“It’s pretty cool in L.A. it’s a chill place,” Malignaggi says of life on the Left Coast. “But I can’t lie, I miss home sometimes. There’s only one New York.”
Abandoning the fast-paced mentality and four seasons in favor of relaxed atmosphere and constant sunshine wasn’t the only major change the once motor-mouthed Brooklynite has endured.
His upcoming clash with once-noted prospect Orlando Lora will mark Malignaggi’s third bout at welterweight after having spent most of his career at the 140 lb. limit. The bout takes place tonight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the first time in his 10-year career that he performs live in the city he now calls home.
Adapting to the laid back surroundings has become easier once he looks past the life he left he’s always known and has left behind, in favor of the opportunities that come with such change.
“I don't regret coming out to train here. It was a great move for my career. I've made some new friends out here as well and I plan to continue to train out here.”
The move came last year, at a time when he was dismissed as done by most in the industry. A high profile loss to Amir Khan in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden marked the second time in 18 months in which he was dominated at the top level of the division, an indication to some that he’s went as far as he could in career.
As is the case with most, it wasn’t an answer that Malignaggi wanted to hear. He’s always been realistic of his own achievements and abilities, but refused to believe that life as he knew it would end by his 30th birthday.
With that came the full makeover.
A less-than-amicable split with longtime promoter Lou DiBella soon followed, one that surprised many in the industry given their close friendship beyond the business side. It wasn’t the ideal departure (and the two have since publicly settled their differences), but nevertheless a move that led him to join the Golden Boy Promotions stable.
The move made sense on several levels. Five of Malignaggi’s last six fights prior to switching promoters came on shows flying the Golden Boy banner (though also co-promoted by DiBella). Malignaggi was billed on the B-side for at least four of those events – losses to Khan and Ricky Hatton and the pair of fights with Juan Diaz wedged in between.
Such a fact wasn’t lost on the Brooklynite, who believed that changing promotional hats was precisely what the doctor ordered in terms of rehabilitating his suddenly declining career.
“I’m really happy that I signed with Golden Boy Promotions,” Malignaggi insists without thinking twice about it. “They continue to make all of the right moves for me and they believe in me. The more opportunities they give me, the more I hope to show my gratitude by continuing to win.”
Believing in Malignaggi’s abilities wasn’t very hard for the California-based promotional company, who enjoyed an up-close-and-personal view of his career for the better part of the past three years. Well before that, Malignaggi enjoyed a working relationship – and a strong friendship – with Golden Boy COO David Itshkowitz while the two were with DiBella Entertainment.
“I've known Paulie since I guess 2001 so it's been quite a long time,” states Itshkowitz, who joined Golden Boy in 2007. “It's great to be working with him again. We obviously didn't lose touch while I was at Golden Boy and he was with DiBella. We worked on a few shows together. He fought Diaz twice and Ricky Hatton so we still always came into contact with each other. It's great working with him. I’m looking forward to what the future has to offer for him in Brooklyn and everywhere he fights.”
The ‘Brooklyn’ part refers to a deal that Golden Boy struck with the Barclay Center in Malignaggi’s old borough to host a series of fight cards due to begin in 2012. A return home would be a no-brainer for Malignaggi, who has won two straight since moving up to welterweight and looks to continue that run against Lora in the opening bout of tonight’s pay-per-view telecast.
Any lingering skepticism surrounding his career these days isn’t necessarily the fighters standing opposite him once the bell rings – he’s a 20-1 favorite to extend his winning streak to three straight by the end of tonight. More of a concern is how the career 140 lb. fighter – who wasn’t a huge presence or a puncher at that weight – will handle the much physically bigger opposition that awaits him at welterweight.
Malignaggi isn’t very worried about it. In fact, he’s counting his opposition seeing things that exact same way, though also enters the ring prepared for whatever his opponent has to offer.
“(Lora) may see a small guy in front of him and try to be a bully or he may just think what he really wants to do is box so I'm preparing for either thing. I'm always trying to prepare myself mainly and get myself sharp and then I'll have the opponent really worry about me more so than me worry about the opponent. That's the plan. That's usually what the plan is and that's the plan now for this kind of fight as well.”
Where this fight takes him isn’t immediately known. Malignaggi had reached a point in his career where every fight either needed to be something big or at least serve as means to an end.
His past two fights – wins over Michael Lozada and Jose Miguel Cotto – were merely to get back into the groove of things and properly acclimate to the welterweight division. The Malignaggi of old would harp on whether or not a win over Lara leads to a title shot. The revamped version has come to appreciate life in the slow lane, while training and also during down time in his new L.A. surroundings.
“The pace of life is definitely slower even out here. That was hard for me because I figured like L.A. would be a city like New York and everybody would be in that rush mode. Although L.A. is exactly the opposite - it's a city, but that's about where the comparison ends to New York. New York is a rush-everybody trying to get somewhere, do something. L.A. is more of a laid back chill atmosphere where nobody really has anything to do. At least it feels that way a lot of times.
“Sometimes I'm in that New York mentality where I want to get somewhere and I can't get anywhere because this L.A. traffic is hard. I guess that sometimes it does get frustrating. Other than that, like I said I think there are more pros than cons to L.A. at the end of the day, though.”
The biggest pro side among them would be the realization that even as he’s viewed as on the wrong side of his prime, there is still plenty of time for version 2.0 to improve on his career achievements. It may come in his next fight after tonight, or it may not happen for another year.
Whenever it takes place, Malignaggi will know to be ready, rather than be eager. No longer a sprinter, he’s now mentally and physically prepared for the proverbial marathon climb towards the top.
“Life out here is kind of like a metaphor for my career now - slow and steady wins the race kind of thing. That's kind of the mentality that my team has for my career at the moment, that slow and steady eventually wins the race instead of the rush-rush that I always felt I needed to do and be.”
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com. Follow Jake on Twitter at twitter.com/JakeNDaBox or submit questions/comments to JakeNDaBox@gmail.com.
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home.
