WBA Welterweight titlist Paulie Malignaggi (32-4, 7 KO) may be easy for some to dislike, he may let his mannerisms shade his talent, but Paulie Malignaggi has earned a record of wins and competitive losses that reads like a who?s who in boxing over the last decade.
Unlike Adrien Broner (26-0, 22 KOs), who has been handed a steady diet of select competitors who play directly into his style, Malignaggi has had to fight every type of style to get his opportunities at a crown.
For boxing purists, Paulie?s brash behavior at times may be hard to swallow for some, very similar to the way Floyd Mayweather?s behavior may grate the mind , as chalk screeching on a blackboard. Unlike Floyd though, Brooklyn?s finest doesn?t have the heavy hands that appeals to the bloodthirsty , nor the Ward like, All-American persona that appeals to others.
What Paulie Malignaggi has is an education in the sweet science that for many boxing centrists, not only appeals, but personifies what boxing should be and often isn?t or isn?t encouraged, knowledge of movement and a rhythm of punches that sings rather than rumbles.
Like the boring Klitschko brothers, Paulie boxes , doesn?t brawl, he bobs, weaves, throws at angles (though ever so lightly), and he wins!
There are no Senchenko, Cotto, Khans, Diaz , Ndou, Ngoudjo or Hatton on the record of Adrien Broner, most of which Paulie beat or stayed competitive with much longer than most. Instead we see with Broner the same issue we saw with Nonito Donaire, opponents whom were smaller, or styles that played directly into the strengths of Adrien.
Was it because he was being nurtured and allowed to grow into the champion everyone hypes he will be , or is it because rumors of a suspicious chin are correct and protection was needed. The available power in the 147 pound division will prove which it is in time!
As we saw with Ponce De Leon, a hard guy using boxing ability, was a tough win for Broner and it went the distance when most thought it would end early.
One thing is certain; Broner can?t stand and wait for a fight to come to him. He?ll have to move and expect to be boxed, expect punches to come from all angles, and expect to have to hit in combinations if he plans to stop his opponent.
Hitting Malignaggi will not be the same thing as hitting, say a 30 year old, Gavin Rees, and being the big fish in a lighter pond is great but it can build a false confidence that often doesn?t transcend, power wise, when you?re the smaller guy,
Malignaggi , in NYC, with his chin and talent , well it just may be worth a bet at 15-1 odds. He has overcome at other times when he was discounted, and at 32 years old this may be a deciding factor just what legacy he leaves boxing.
Broner cannot believe going into the ring , in all the hype, all the press, he must take this fight to heart , knowing that he will have many things to prove, both to himself and the fan.
Does he belong in the welterweight division, will his power have the same effect on a bigger opponent, can he handle a boxer at 147 when he had issues at 135, will his chin handle even a light hitting welter, will Paulie?s repetitive punches cut him as he did Senchenko , or will the NY judges be as accommodating in a tight fight as his entourage is.
Will it be the stepping stone for Broner to create a larger legacy, or will Paulie Malignaggi step-up and into the limelight that often only he believes he deserves.
We don?t have the answer to that question, but I feel that Broner will not have an easy time of it, and if you?re passing on this fight, you may be making a huge mistake.This one has the makings of a classic and quite possibly an upset, if you wish to believe the champion can be an underdog in his own backyard!
My call on this fight, contrary to what many believe, is it goes the distance and can be anyone?s fight. The real winner when this is over is the sport of boxing and the fan, in a classic battle!
