TalkingBoxing Articles
It’s Showtime for the Magic Man
THU January 3, ANTONIO ANDRES CARRIEDO - About five years ago a brash, cocky and flashy boxer from Brooklyn burst onto the scene. He seemed to dominate ESPN2’s airwaves with one-sided unanimous decision victories every few months. He never knocked his woefully overmatched opponents out, but I kept tuning in because…well, he was kind of annoying and I wanted to see him get beat or at least knocked down. He did get countered once while attempting a bolo punch. That was pretty funny, but he usually won every single round without incident. The boxer I’m speaking of is Paulie Malignaggi.
By early 2006, he actually was facing decent opposition and still talking a load of trash while piling up shutout victories. It was around that time that he caught his big break...a fight against then WBO 140 lb titlist, Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden. The fight took place the day before the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City so it was a big deal for boxing fans in the North Atlantic region. I’m not from that region, but it was a big deal to me because finally someone was going to beat that loud mouth from Brooklyn up.
A funny thing happened in that fight though. Malignaggi was winning it throughout the first half. What’s more is that he was winning the fight while standing toe to toe with Cotto. He was pushing Cotto back with one-twos and putting the usually aggressive titlist on the defensive for long stretches. Of course, we all know that changed in the later rounds when Cotto did finally beat the Brooklynite up. Still, I gained a lot of respect for Malignaggi in that fight.
Thinking back on it now, I should have always liked Malignaggi. Stylistically, though right handed, he’s a pretty even blend of Zab Judah and Pernell Whitaker…two fighters I’ve always liked. If I can pin it back to anything it may be that I was always a fan of Panchito Bojado and Malignaggi started a feud with Bojado before Bojado’s career went down the tube, but I think I disliked Malignaggi before that. At any rate, Malignaggi proved he was a warrior against Cotto. As boxing fans, we must respect that. If a guy chooses to only stand toe to toe and trade bombs once in his career we have to respect that he did it that one time, especially against someone like Cotto.
What we should also respect about Malignaggi is the fact that he has rebuilt his career and gone back to piling up shutout wins. Since losing to Cotto, he’s won lopsided decisions over Edner Cherry and Lovemore N’dou. Both are tough, durable contenders. On Saturday night at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ Malignaggi will face another tough, durable contender in Herman Ngoudju. Showtime will televise the fight and my guess is that Malignaggi will win another lopsided unanimous decision. Knockout crazed fans will probably call it a “boring” fight, but Malignaggi is not a boring fighter.
He wants to fight Ricky Hatton and if he beats Ngoudju HBO would be best served to give him what he wants. They should also create a “24/7” series for that fight. If fans thought Floyd Mayweather took cockiness overboard they’ll get twice the kick out of Malignaggi. Hatton and Billy Graham might each bust veins when they get a load of Malignaggi’s trash talk. I mean this all in a positive way.
If the sport of boxing is going to go the reality television route the decision makers should do it right. Match the best against the best. Malignaggi-Hatton may be the best fight available at 140. And while neither are KO punchers they make for great tv watching. If a network were to merely air the fight and allow fans to dupe themselves into thinking they are watching to see a KO then that network has missed a golden opportunity to give fans much more. Malignaggi-Hatton could be a huge and wildly entertaining event.
Showtime seems to have caught on. They’ve purchased a documentary titled, “Magic Man,” which was created in the buildup to Malignaggi’s fight with Cotto, and have aired it periodically throughout the week. So, for now it’s Showtime for Malignaggi; will HBO follow its lead?
Forum
