Paulie Malignaggi Slams Conor Benn Over “Fake” Title Claim

Paulie Malignaggi didn’t hold back in his reaction to Conor Benn’s performance, turning his focus toward both the fighter and how he was presented on the broadcast.

Malignaggi was particularly incensed by the Netflix graphic calling Benn a “two-time world champion.” To a purist like Paulie, that’s a major slap in the face to the sport’s history.

Benn has held secondary belts (like the WBA Continental), but he has never won one of the big four (WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO) world titles. Presenting him as such to a massive casual audience on Netflix is exactly what Paulie calls “shameless” because it distorts the reality of the hierarchy.

“This guy’s not only never been a one-time world champion, he will never be a world champion,” Malignaggi said to talkSport Boxing about Netflix’s mistake in babeling Benn as a “two-time world champion.”

“That is absolutely disgraceful. Shameless. I almost vomited in my own mouth.”

His criticism extended beyond Benn himself, targeting the platform’s decision to present that version of his record to a wide audience and warning that casual viewers are being given the wrong idea of what elite boxing looks like.

Malignaggi made clear he does not see Benn as a top-tier fighter, even while acknowledging his popularity and entertainment value.

“I don’t mind watching Conor Benn. He’s okay,” said Malignaggi. “But don’t start mentioning him at world class level. He will challenge for titles, but he’s clearly a rung below.”

Paulie’s point about Benn being a “rung below” often refers to defensive ability. In the Prograis fight, while Benn looked fast and athletic, he still dealt with significant cuts and ate clean shots from a veteran who many think is past his prime.

When you look at the “established names” at 147 or 154, guys like Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, or Sebastian Fundora, the margin for error is much smaller. Paulie’s worry is that Benn’s aggression, which works against okay opposition, becomes a liability against elite counters.

One thing Paulie often points out is that Benn’s team has been very selective. While he has looked destructive against certain veterans, Malignaggi argues we still haven’t seen him in a pure boxing match where he can’t just bully his way through.

His loss to Chris Eubank Jr. in their first meeting showed that when the physical advantages are neutralized, Benn can struggle to find a Plan B.