Paulie Malignaggi Aims For Big Fights at 147 and 140

By Mitch Abramson

There was a familiar face in the crowd at Madison Square Garden last Saturday during Nonito Donaire’s bantamweight fight. Paulie Malignaggi, the former junior welterweight champion who recently won a decision against Orlando Lara in a welterweight bout, was on hand as an observer. It was the first time that Malignaggi set foot in the Garden’s Theater since his dispiriting loss to Amir Khan last year at 140 pounds. Following that fight, the Brooklyn native announced he was moving up to welterweight because of difficulties making 140 pounds.

But, looking rejuvenated, outfitted in sunglasses and felt fedora with the pinch front, Malignaggi told BoxingScene that despite his recent move up to in weight, he’s open to dropping back down to junior welterweight for the right opportunity, provided he hire a dietician to make the process of losing weight easier. Facing a big welterweight in Lara, the size difference was noticeable and made the fight tougher than it should have been, Malignaggi said.

“I felt like I had to work a little harder in the clinches than I usually do,” Malignaggi admitted to BoxingScene. “Even though the fight looked it easy, it was work. [HBO commentator] Emanuel Steward is a very good observer because if you notice during the telecast, he said that I was having to work hard, and he was right. I had to work hard even though it looked easy. He was a big welterweight.”

Speaking of the world of Twitter, Malignaggi said he’s seen his name bandied about in terms of possibly facing Andre Berto, [Jan] Zaveck and Devon Alexander in possible upcoming fights, all current welterweights. But navigating between the two weight classes would afford him more chances for big fights and may make it easier on his body in the ring.

“Talent wise he wasn’t on my level,” Malignaggi said of Lara. “But his size kind of showed. From that aspect, I’m going to be open at opportunities at 140 as well as 147 only because at 140 in L.A. because of the heat I may be able to make the weight. Also if I do fight at 140, I’m going to hire a dietician. I’ve been speaking to a few of them. I’m going to go that rout and try to do it the correct way. I don’t want to do it the way I did before I fought Amir [Khan]. That was like death.”

Malignaggi, who lives in L.A., plans to take a few weeks off in Italy, where he lived briefly, before planning his next fight. Malignaggi didn’t sustain any cuts or injuries to his hand in his bout with Lara  and is open to fighting again early next year, he said.

“I can actually look to fight quickly if an opportunity presents itself,” Malignaggi said.

It’s quite a reversal to how he was feeling the last time he was at the Theater, when he lost badly to Khan in a title fight and left the building unsure of whether he’d even fight again. This time, Malignaggi was in much better spirits about his future.

“To walk in here tonight and have a pretty good idea that I’m still relevant and I’m still very much in the thick of things- it feels good,” Malignaggi said. “It wasn’t an easy ride to come back and again, I’m glad Golden Boy was able to give me these chances.”

Mitch Abramson covers boxing for the New York Daily News and BoxingScene.com.