Floyd Mayweather has taken some heat from fans and insiders alike because of his actions this past Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the fourth round of his bout with former champion Victor Ortiz, moments after the then-champion had lost a point for an intentional head butt, Mayweather would catch the fighter with a punch labeled as a ?cheap shot? by some as he landed a quick left and follow up right that floored the 24-year old and ended the fight.
While some have been quick to call Mayweather?s actions unsportsmanlike, former champion Paulie Malignaggi, who was in attendance at last weekend?s fight in Las Vegas, was quick to get Mayweather?s back.
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?Protect yourself at all times,? Malignaggi told me recently of the incident. ?And more so than that, you can?t go taking this fight into the streets and expect to be lovely-dovey. Victor was the one who took it to that point. I counted three intentional headbutts. The last one he left his feet and there were two other times before that.?
Malignaggi pointed out that if he were in Mayweather?s shoes, he likely would have done the same thing.
?You can?t take the fight from here, and take it to this point, and say ?Now Floyd?s going to be pissed because I?m doing this, let me hug him?,? said Malignaggi. ?Now Floyd?s mad. Floyd acted like any grown man would act. Now you want to hug? F*** you, I?m not your friend. I?m going to punk you the way that you were punking me.?
Pumping on the breaks a bit, Malignaggi revealed that he had been hoping for more from Ortiz in the bout.
?I?m looking for something to say to Victor,? he continued. ?I?m frustrated because I thought Victor worked hard, he trained hard. I didn?t think Victor was going to win but I thought he was going to put up a good fight. It?s a lack of character. Floyd outmanned him, totally.?
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A few hours before the ?Star Power? event, Malignaggi was at a Golden Boy Promotions press conference announcing the signing of former WBC junior welterweight champion Devon Alexander, a man Paulie has traded some harsh words with in recent months. Malignaggi is also promoted by Golden Boy but pointed out that a fight with Alexander isn?t his only focus as this point.
?I think it?s good because it makes it easier to make the fight if they are going to make it. Also, Richard Schaefer mentioned a welterweight tournament that he wants to bring to Showtime, HBO. So it?s a situation that could be good and you may see me and Devon fight. You may see me and Devon in the tournament and then we fight in the tournament,? said Malignaggi.
?It?s all good for me. It?s not so much about Devon Alexander as much as it?s more I want to just be in big fights.?
At the moment Malignaggi is training at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles, prepping for a fight against once-beaten Orlando Lara on the October 15th Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson undercard at the Staples Center.
Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at [email protected]
