Malignaggi phones Holt to wishes him luck against Torres in WBO title fight, and the two discuss future unification

BT: Paulie, Demetrius Hopkins recently came on the record and had quite a bit to say about you. Give us your thoughts.
PM: I want to start this off by saying that I am pretty popular. If I must say so myself… I have become quite the popular fighter in the junior welterweight division. Everybody wants to make a name off of Paul Malignaggi. Now we have this guy Demetrius Hopkins calling out Paul Malignaggi. He has to wait in line man.  Everybody is calling me out. He needs to get in the back of the line and wait his turn and I will beat his **explicit** later.

BT: Last time we were on the record. You and I both spoke with your promoter Lou DiBella and he explained to the Boxingtalk audience that the fight that was being discussed was a match up between you and unbeaten Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.. Any updates on that fight?
PM: I think the Chavez Jr. camp was asking for more money than what was being given by the television network. So I think that fight is off the table for now. Demetrius Hopkins said “Paulie Malignaggi knows what he has coming to him” So I guess I do know what I have coming to me. He is the number two contender in the IBF; after I make my mandatory he becomes the mandatory. So what’s coming to me is an easy title defense against Demetrius Hopkins.

BT: When we discussed the Chavez fight the working date was December first. Now that that fight is off the table, is that still the working date for your next fight?
PM: I don’t know, I have my team working on some things. Like I said the Chavez thing fell through, so we are just keeping our eyes open and see what the possibilities are for us in the near future. We definitely want to get one more fight in before the end of the year.

But I just want to keep abusing Demetrius Hopkins in this interview because that’s what I am doing it for. Another thing I want to make clear is that Demetrius Hopkins has no right to be calling anybody out coming off that fight against Steve Forbes. A fight I feel he lost. I thought he lost by nine rounds in that fight Ray. I didn’t even think the fight was close. I don’t know what the judges were watching. But anybody that gave him that fight needs to get his head checked.

On top of that he talks about how he has heart and that he threw a lot of punches in that fight. Let me tell you how much heart this kid has. His uncle went in the corner, before the 12th round started and told him “You need this round Meek (Nick name for Demetrius)” and what does he do? He goes and looses the round. He looses the 12th round after they just told him he needed the round to win the fight. This kid is a disgrace to all Philadelphia fighters in the history of that city. Philadelphia has a great history in boxing, and Demetrius Hopkins doesn’t belong amongst that. He is a disgrace to it; they should take his name off that list. His uncle is probably ashamed that he is his nephew. He is not going to admit it, but if you take Bernard in private and ask him if he is ashamed of his nephew. I bet you Bernard will keep it real and say, “I will tell you man, I am a little bit ashamed of my nephew”

They had to get him such a tune up, they went and got him a guy 11-3, a club fighter just so he can knock him out because he needed a confidence builder after that Forbes ass whooping. The kid has 30 fights and he needed a confidence builder, what kind of shit is that? He needed to fight a bum on the Hopkins-Wright under card that wasn’t even shown on T.V. So he needs to take a few more of those confidence builders before he starts talking about a world champion like Paul Malignaggi who is at the top of the list baby.

BT: You still have a couple of other fights you have to get out of the way. One which is a rematch with Lovemore N’Dou who you defeated for the title and Herman Ngoudjo who is your mandatory. Now that the fight with Chavez fell through, is the plan to clear at least one of those two commitments you have out before the end of the years? Or keep them lingering for as long as possible?
PM: We have a lot of things we have to clear up. Obviously the mandatory is one, and N’Dou to clear up. The problem with N’Dou is no T.V. network is going t buy it, so we are trying to decide the best-case scenario on how to make the fight happen.

I want to go back to Demetrius Hopkins one more time, he tried to say I have an amateur style and I punch with an open hand and never with a closed fist. Now when did Demetrius Hopkins become the expert on knowing how to punch? He has maybe three or four more knockouts than me. Who is he to be calling out who is a good puncher and who is not? The kid isn’t a puncher.

BT: Are you surprised that coming after your loss to Cotto in which your stock rose, and then going on to defeated two solid opponents and wining a world title on HBO that the network isnt making you a priority on getting you back on?
PM: I have to admit it is a little surprising to me. But also you have to look at it like this, they’re lots of super fights coming up that took up a lot of dates. So I guess I kind of have to wait my time. I am hoping to re-explode on the scene on ’08. I just have to be patient, it is a frustrating thing sometimes, but I just have to wait. It would be nice if the Hopkins last name brought something to the table… With Chavez’s last name, that kid is a bum but at least his name brought something to the table. With Hopkins his uncle is a hall of famer and he doesn’t bring anything to the table.
BT: There is another Demetrius out there that has expressed interest in fighting you, and he happens to be a fellow New Yorker. In which a fight between you two-will f no doubt be a huge event in the New York City area. What are your thoughts on the possibility of facing fellow Brooklyn resident Dmitriy Salita?
PM: I don’t really know what’s going on with that. Dmitriy Salita wants a shot at the title. We are good friends, and I guess when the money is right and everybody is willing to make it happen, then we will make it. He is a friend of mine, and he wants a shot at a world title. If he gets it against Paul Malignaggi or anybody else he certainly deserves it. So we will see what happens.

BT: A while back you expressed to me that you felt that WBC Jr. Welterweight champion Junior Witter was the best of the four champions in the division at the time. He will be facing fellow Brooklyn Jr. Welterweight, and former champion Vivian Harris, whom you have worked with on many occasions down at the fames Gleason’s gym. Give us your thoughts on that match up.
PM: I think that is a very solid match up. Vivian Harris is a very good fighter, and Junior Witter I think also is a very good fighter. I think that is a toss up fight, and it is a shame that American networks aren’t going to put it on T.V. They are both top tier level fighters and the winner of that really stands out as an elite fighter in the Jr. Welterweight division, along with Paulie Malignaggi of course.

BT: Another buddy of yours from the area in Kendall Holt will be fighting for a world title when he travels to Columbia to face current WBO Champion Ricardo Torres. Give us your thoughts on that fight.
PM: Like you said, Kendall has a fight outside of the country, and I think it is a shame that they aren’t going to put his fight on national T.V. either because Kendall is a really good talent and also a good friend of mine. I think he knock Ricardo Torres’ out. They can have that fight in Ricardo Torres’ bedroom and Kendall will knock him out. As long as Kendall’s mind is right then I don’t see him having any problems handling Ricardo Torres. I don’t see Torres doing anything to beat Kendall Holt.

BT: Is there anything else you would like to add in closing?
PM: I think by the end of the year, there is going to be some good fights in the division. I want to wish my friends Vivian Harris and Kendall Holt the best of luck in their upcoming title fights. I think we are going to have some top tier champions in the division by the end of the year. I think that all of the titles are all going to come back to America. That way the American networks can put us all up against each other. We can all make some good money and put on some good fights for the fans.

BT: I haven’t spoke to Kendall myself in quite a while, lets give him a call…
PM: Yeah call him up I want to holla at him.

(Dial, Phone rings and rings… Holt finally picks up)

Kendall Holt: Hello…

BT: Kendall what’s going on?
KH: Chilling getting ready… to handle business on the 1st.

BT: I have someone here that wants to wish you luck before you leave to Columbia for your fight.
(Slight pause by Holt)

Paul Malignaggi: Yo Kendall what’s up? I know you are going to do your thing out there.

Kendall Holt: Oohh Paulie wassup? Thanks a lot,. I really appreciate that kid.

Paul Malignaggi: (Offering him advice) Yo, be smart. Don’t let none of that shit get in your head when you are down there. This guy can’t beat you on his best day. Understand that.

Kendall Holt: Ooh I know that, it’s going to be like taking candy from a baby. You know what’s crazy is a couple days ago I wanted to call you and ask you your opinion on the fight.

BT: Well I can tell you what Malignaggi said in the interview we just did. He said he felt the fight with Harris and Witter is a toss up. And in the fight with you against Torres., he felt that you could fight the guy in his bedroom and you should have no problem beating him as long as you stay focused.

Kendall Holt: Yeah?? (In an agreement kind of tone) I like that, I like that… That’s wassup. I hope you also fired back at the DHOP (Demetrius Hopkins)

Paul Malignaggi: Yes I was just talking about him before we called you.

Kendall Holt: So Paulie you dont mind being a world champion with me at the same time?

Paul Malignaggi: Ooh Hell no…shit if we take care of everybody else. We can make some serious money fighting each other. Fuck it…

Kendall Holt: That’s wassup then.

HERE

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