MAHSANTUCKET, CT.–Look up ?chatterbox? in the encyclopedia and you might see the smiling and noble Italian face of Paulie Malignaggi, professional boxer and former world champion.
The Brooklyn boxer is one of those irrepressible characters in our sport who, if you ask him for the time, explains to you how a watch is made.
Malignaggi had a stay busy bout Saturday night at the plush MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods. This facility drew such compliments as ?way too fancy for boxing? and it is.
But Yo Paulie was in his element, among the fight crowd, and he pounded out an eight round decision over 16-7-1 Utah journeyman Chris Fernandez to improve his record to 25-2.
Malignaggi’s two pro defeats came at the hands of two vastly different fighters. One stoppage loss was to muscular and powerful Puerto Rican icon Miguel Cotto and the other was to popular Brit Ricky Hatton.
Knowing I?d get a lengthy but straight shooting answer, I asked the “Bensonhurst Kid” if Hatton can possibly defeat Manny Pacquiao on May 2 in Vegas.
?The answer is no. Look, I don?t want this to come out the wrong way because Ricky is a great guy and he and his whole family treated me great when I fought in England. They?re all really good people. Make sure that goes in your article, really.
?But all this talk about what (trainer Floyd) Mayweather is doing, how he is changing Ricky up, how Ricky is going to be sharper and all that?look, I should not have lost to Ricky and I wouldn?t lose if I fought him again. I blame my loss to Rick chiefly on my then trainer, Buddy McGirt.
