One on One with Paul Malignaggi

By Socrates Palmer Jr

22/06/2007

One on One with Paul Malignaggi

BT: Boxingtalk.com here with the IBF junior welterweight champion of the world, Pauli Malignagi. Congratulations, Magic Man, how's it been so far? "It's been great. I'm just trying to let it sink in, it's almost surreal right now."

BT: I know it's been years of hard work coming to fruition. The way you handled yourself on Saturday, I was surprised by how easy you made it look. Were you surprised by how easy it was?

PM: N'dou made me work all the rounds, but I prepared to dominate him. That's what I did. I went in there with that intention, and I made sure to make that happen.

BT: Do you think people will think you're legit now?

PM: They'd better take me seriously, because my performances speak for themselves. If you can't take me seriously, it's because you've got hate in your blood. If you want to be a miserable person, and that's it. I can't do anything about that. I'm happy, I live my life, I do my thing. If you didn't like me up to this point, or think I was real, and I haven't changed your mind by now about me being an elite fighter, then you have hate in your blood. There's nothing I can do about that. I'm going to do my thing, I'm going to get paid. I'm going to get big fights, and I'm going to continue to be on TV, in your face for years to come.

BT: Before the fight, Larry Merchant had mentioned that people were questioning how you were getting a title shot, because you haven't beaten anyone of rank. Was the point for you to dominate?

PM: I've always believed that I belonged amoung elite fighters, it was just a matter of getting my opportunities. Last year I caught a great fighter, Miguel Cotto, but I came up short. It takes a great fighter to beat Pauli Malignagi, believe me. You not going to come in and just beat Pauli Malignagi. You'd better come good, you'd better be prepared, it's not an easy fight. When you see 23 wins, and 5 KO's, you think I can beat this guy. I'm telling you, you're going to get beat, you're going to get emabarrased.

BT: In the past, you've had trouble with your hand, physically, how did you come out of the fight?

PM: Everything was good. I just got these stitches on my eye, right here. He opened me up with an elbow, then he butted me late in the fight. He was getting frustrated. It's funny, he was complaining about the referee, but he did a lot of things that the referee let him get away with. The referee did a great job, you can't stop the action every second for fouls. N'dou was fouling me every other second, every chance he got, he was fouling me. Like I said, the cut opened up with the elbow, then he broke it open wide with the headbutts. Yet, I still whooped him pretty easy, so he has nothing to complain about. I gave him his credit, I gave him an A for effort. That's all he could get. He could take it home, he lost fair and square, accept that.

BT: What's next for you? Do you want to fight the winner of Hatton-Castillo, or would you like something in between that?

PM: If I could get that, I would definitely want to fight Ricky Hatton. They say he's the best fighter out there, so let's do it. I got named the IBF junior welterweight champion, so let's do it. We could make some money together, if not Dimitri Salinas has been mentioned, and there are a lot of other fighters out there. Whoever wants to step up to the plate, I'm the world champion now, so they're all going to be gunning from me. I have no problem fighting if the networks want to make it happen.

BT: Do you have to take care of your mandatories right away?

PM: Yes, I believe I have to fight my mandatories right away, by December if I'm not mistaken. That's how I'm going to go. I'm not even worried about that other guy, I thought he looked terrible against Randall Baily. He made himself look like a clown on Saturday, so we'll see.

BT: Will your next fight be on the East coast?

PM: I'm not sure. I don't take care of that, where the fights happen is not up to me. My people make the deals, and whatever casinos want to buy them buy them. I could be anywhere, I've been fighting on the East coast, I wouldn't be surprised if it's on the West coast. My job is to win the fight. Thank you Socrates, Boxingtalk.

M

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