BRAVE Brooklynite Paulie Malignaggi remains undecided over his boxing future almost two weeks after being stopped in the late stages of his WBA light-welterweight title challenge to Amir Khan. Contrary to reports that have emerged this week, the New Yorker has yet to make a firm decision although admits that if he does fight on, his days at 10st are over.
?I honestly don?t know what I?m gonna? do,? Malignaggi told me. ?It changes every half-hour at the moment. One minute I think I want to carry on then the next I don?t feel like I want to through a whole training camp again. I?m in a position where I don?t need to fight ? I?ve made money and I have my restaurant [in Manhattan]. Lennox Lewis retired as the heavyweight champion of the world ? now I?m not a world champion but I have been and why do you have to wait until you?re shot before you retire?
?If I do continue, I?m done with 140. I said during the training camp for Khan that it was killing me and as I lost the weight, my legs got heavier. I told my team, ?I?ll vacate this belt when I win it,? because I knew this would be my last fight at 140.?
The allure of a world title at a second weight holds much lustre for Paulie, who is far from overawed by the talent at welter.
?Outside of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquio, I don?t think the division?s as deep as what we have at 140,? he considered. ?You have the IBF champ Jan Zavek who I?d never heard of and who is the WBA champion, [Vyacheslav] Senchenko?! So there are opportunities for me at 147.
?But I don?t know. Some people tell me I don?t need to carry on but others, like my trainer, tell me I?ve still got plenty left. But I think about everything ? is he telling me that because it?s true or because he only started making money since he?s been with me? I look at all the angles and I need to take some time and decide for myself.?
If Malignaggi does decide to call it a day, he can look back proudly at his IBF title reign, his wins over the likes of Lovemore Ndou and Juan Diaz, plus courageous defiance when facing the brutal shots of Miguel Cotto and the whizzing fists of Khan. Regarding the latter, Paulie had some kind words for his most recent conqueror.
?Amir is a good fighter,? Malignaggi praised. ?You know, they had the right tactics but it?s all very well having a good gameplan, you still have to go out and execute it and Amir did that very well. I remember going back to my corner midway through the fight and saying to my team, ?Man, he?s a good fighter.??
