GL: I hear you could be opening up the Taylor-Spinks fight in Memphis on May 19. What can you tell us about that? "Yeah man, I'm very excited about it and I think it would be a good spot for me. Hopefully HBO and everyone else will come to terms on the situation. Lovemore N'dou needs to get Arturo Gatti out of his head and start focusing on Paul Malignaggi as this fight gets closer."

GL: How do you see the fight with N'dou playing out?

Paul Malignaggi: "I see me outboxing him and I see him coming forward to make me work for it, but at the end of the day I have too many skills for him to deal with."
 
GL: Do you think a fight with N'dou will look a lot like your fight with Edner Cherry did since they both have the same kind of style?

PM: "Yeah. I don't think N'dou will be able to touch me. I think he would bring the fight to me and try to make it as physical fight as possible, but my experience with Cotto would help for that fight. I learned from that Cotto fight and I learned from my mistakes so I'm confident that somebody like N'dou would have no chance of getting to me."

GL: How do you feel about being in the HBO mix coming off of your first loss?

PM: "I feel very fortunate because not everyone gets to come on HBO after a loss,  but I think that's a testament to the drawing power I got, the attention that Paul Malignaggi draws to himself and the curiosity that makes people want to know more about Paul Malignaggi. Not everybody could do that, but Paul Malignaggi pulled it off. As much as people want to hate and talk shit, I'm going to be on HBO in my next fight."

GL: Your name was coming up as in the mix for Gatti, what can you tell us about that?

PM: "Me and Arturo are friends so they would have to pay us a lot to fight each other. I grew up watching him fight and I've respected him for a lot of years."

GL: You're friends and all of that good stuff, but I hear that Gatti said some things to some of your friends after you defeated Cherry.

PM: "Yeah, but those were just rumors I guess."

GL: Have you spoken with Arturo since then?

PM: "Yeah and everything is cool."

GL: So does that mean there's more than one Italian fighter on HBO?

PM: (laughing hard) "Let's put it this way, they would have come back with a lot of money otherwise Gatti will go his way and I'll go mine."

GL: If the two of you fought there would only be on Italian fighter on HBO, what would his name be?

PM: (laughing hard again) "You're trying to fan the flames but I'm going to leave it alone for now."

GL: Is there anything you'd like to say in closing?

PM: "There's nothing concrete yet, but it's looking like it's going to be Lovemore N'dou on HBO either opening up for Jermain Taylor on May 19 or on Boxing After Dark on June 16."

,M

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