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By Rick Reeno - Later tonight from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT, Lovemore N'dou (45-8-1, 30 KOs) of Sydney, Australia puts his IBF junior welterweight title on the line against Paulie Malignaggi (22-1, 5 KOs) of Brooklyn, New York.
Both men gave current WBA welterweight champ Miguel Cotto some rough moments in the ring, and are the only two fighters to go the distance with Cotto since 2002.
It's a crossroads fight for both of them.
N'dou technically never won the title in the ring. The IBF bestowed him with the iterim title, and upgraded him to full championship status after then champion Ricky Hatton refused to grant him a mandatory title shot. N'dou has been involved in big fights in the past. He comes close, but not close enough to win it all. At 35-years-old, a loss at this point could prevent him from landing another big fight for the rest of his career.
Last June, Malignaggi took a vicious beating when he took on Cotto at New York's Madison Square Garden. He failed to win the WBO junior welterweight title, but he raised his reputation to another level in defeat. He showed heart, he showed a chin and while his body was bruised and beaten, he was able to suck it up and continue boxing until the final bell. Malignaggi's orbital bone was shattered in the fight, causing his face to grotesquely swell and internal bleeding that interfered with his ability to properly breathe. Following the bout, Malignaggi required surgery to place a titanium plate underneath his eye where the orbital bone got shattered. [details]
Both men gave current WBA welterweight champ Miguel Cotto some rough moments in the ring, and are the only two fighters to go the distance with Cotto since 2002.
It's a crossroads fight for both of them.
N'dou technically never won the title in the ring. The IBF bestowed him with the iterim title, and upgraded him to full championship status after then champion Ricky Hatton refused to grant him a mandatory title shot. N'dou has been involved in big fights in the past. He comes close, but not close enough to win it all. At 35-years-old, a loss at this point could prevent him from landing another big fight for the rest of his career.
Last June, Malignaggi took a vicious beating when he took on Cotto at New York's Madison Square Garden. He failed to win the WBO junior welterweight title, but he raised his reputation to another level in defeat. He showed heart, he showed a chin and while his body was bruised and beaten, he was able to suck it up and continue boxing until the final bell. Malignaggi's orbital bone was shattered in the fight, causing his face to grotesquely swell and internal bleeding that interfered with his ability to properly breathe. Following the bout, Malignaggi required surgery to place a titanium plate underneath his eye where the orbital bone got shattered. [details]