On June 16, 2007, two of Brooklyn’s finest young fighters will appear on HBO’s Boxing After Dark in hopes of furthering their claim as two of the new stars in the sport. Fighting from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT, Paul Malignaggi and Curtis Stevens have already planned to take over that night with their fellow Brooklyn supporters. “You know we’re going to have Brooklyn down there,” Malignaggi says matter-of-factly. “Between me and Curtis, we bring Brooklyn big.” Malignaggi will challenge Lovemore N'dou for the IBF 140-pound title.
Though the names Malignaggi (22-1, 5 KOs) and Stevens (17-1, 12 KOs) have been buzzing throughout the sport for the last few years, many fans and members of the press have been skeptical of the hype surrounding the two.
For many, it’s because they simply have not been able to see them perform on national television that often, if at all. For others, it’s a cultural thing. When most Americans hear someone comes from New York, they quickly assume that individual is aloof and arrogant beyond belief. And a bit overrated as well.
A year ago, Paul “The Magic Man” Malignaggi silenced any of those doubts when he fought Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade in front of thousands of Cotto’s countrymen. Though he was fighting in his hometown, Malignaggi was clearly the underdog. In fact, hardly anyone, including many of his own fans, gave the quick southpaw much of a chance of upsetting the bigger Cotto for the WBO slice of the junior welterweight crown.
But a funny thing happened that night. Contrary to many predictions, Malignaggi hadn’t been knocked out by the sixth round. Instead, the precocious young man with the light but quick hands was bringing the fight to Cotto. Throughout the bout, Malignaggi showed traces of the greatness he might one day achieve by slipping and countering many of Cotto’s tremendous shots. More importantly, he proved there was more to him than meets the eye, as his nickname suggests.
By the twelfth round, Malignaggi was visibly hurt, his jaw completely swollen. It was obvious he was down on all three judges’ scorecards and had a slim chance of a knockout, yet he did not shy away from pursuing Cotto for three more minutes. Though he wound up losing the bout via decision, Malignaggi proved he was as rugged as he was flashy.
The loss to Cotto is something he believes will help him defeat veteran Lovemore N’dou for the IBF junior welterweight title on June 16.
“That experience is going to help me get through this fight. The experience of having been twelve rounds in a world championship fight under that kind of pressure [against Cotto]—that atmosphere is a pressure-cooker atmosphere. It will wear on you not just physically, but mentally and psychologically,” Malignaggi says proudly. “I feel I’m a better man for it, I’m a better fighter for it.”
Against N’dou, Malignaggi faces a cagey fighter who constantly smothers his opponents with a wide variety of punches. Though N’dou has fought against several well-known fighters, such as Cotto, Junior Witter, and Sharmba Mitchell, Malignaggi is not at all deterred.
“Anybody that’s doubting the Magic Man will see what I’m about. I’m going to talk my way all the way up to this fight. And then I’m going to talk to him when I’m beating his ass. I don’t like the guy, I don’t like the way he disrespected me, I don’t like him treating me like I’m some young chump. I’m going to clown him all night. All those things he’s been saying, he better back up that mouth,” Malignaggi says. “There’s no room for grandfathers, so I’m going to take care of this guy and get rid of him real quick.”
Supremely confident in his abilities, Malignaggi has assured everyone that he is poised to defeat N’dou for the title on June 16.
“This is going to be like my coming out party. I think people will see I’m on the cusp of superstardom. If I execute the game plan, it should be no problem for me. I’m focused as it gets,” Malignaggi says. “I’m one of the best fighters in my weight class. I’m one of the best fighters of my generation. After this fight I’m going after Ricky Hatton. I want the guy that everybody says is the best. [First] I’m going to show this old man. This is a young man’s sport and the future is in the youth. There’s no room for grandfathers.”
As for Curtis Stevens, one half of the hard-hitting duo the Chin Checkers, this will be his first fight on HBO. Since turning professional, Stevens has gained a reputation as a snarling puncher. On June 16 he finally gets a chance to show the boxing world why New Yorkers fell in love with his punching power.
“I’ve been waiting for this time since I was a little kid. It’s probably every little kid’s dream to fight on HBO,” Steven says. “Since I turned pro, this is one of the first things I’ve really wanted to do: get on HBO and show that I am a star attraction and that I do bring something to the table.”
While Malignaggi takes on a rugged brawler in Lovemore N’dou, Stevens faces a polished boxer in Andre Dirrell, a 2004 U.S. Olympian, someone who he is quite familiar with.
“I know Andre Dirrell from the amateurs,” says Stevens. “He’s a blown-up middleweight. Last time I checked he was fighting at 119 in 2001. In 2002, he’s at 139. In 2003, he’s at 165. I know his family is probably making him drink a lot of milk.”
When asked to explain how he will defeat Dirrell, Stevens cooly says, “Pressure busts pipes.”
“[Dirrell] likes to pot-shot and run around the ring. But that’s the amateur style of boxing. Now we’re in the pros, so all the pot-shotting is not going to work with me. The only thing we’re doing now is trying to cut him down and cut off the ring,” Stevens reveals. “He’s been down before. I know he gets tired and he’s never been in the ring with an aggressor, a puncher like me, so he’s got a big problem coming June 16.”
