15.05.08 – by James Slater: Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi is confident he will both meet and then stop Ricky Hatton later this year. A return fight with his mandatory challenger in Australia’s Lovemore N’dou takes place first, however. Sharing the bill with Hatton on May 24th when “The Hitman” takes on Juan Lazcano, Malignaggi is confident he will have no problems getting past the man he has already beaten handily.
Speaking with Sky Sports recently, the reigning IBF light-welterweight champion began by speaking about what he feels he will do to Hatton when they meet as planned later this year, most likely in New York.
“He’s [Hatton] had all these goals,” Malignaggi told Sky Sports. “He wanted to top the bill at The City of Manchester Stadium, he’s going to do it; he wanted to top the bill in Las Vegas, he’s done it; and he’s got the chance to top the bill at Madison Square Garden, another one of his goals. You know Madison Square Garden is the Mecca of boxing. Ricky could put his name in history as having had one of the major fights in The Garden, but Paulie Malignaggi is going to come out on top. I’m going to pick up where Floyd [Mayweather] left off. I’ll make it look like he DID beat the count, I’ll pick up right from there.”
Perhaps understanding the scepticism many people would have after hearing his boast – what with his light punching and usual failure to KO any of his opponents – Malignaggi insisted he was indeed seriously of the belief that he would stop Hatton.
“And don’t start laughing,” Paulie continued. “Everyone’s saying, ‘he don’t stop anybody, how’s he going to stop Ricky Hatton?’ I believe it’s going to be easier stopping Hatton that it will be to stop Lovemore N’dou. He [N’dou] has fought big punchers like Junior Witter, like Miguel Cotto and they didn’t stop him. I approached the first fight like I wasn’t going to stop him and I didn’t stop him. I’m going to approach the second fight the same way, putting in hard rounds of work – and in the end I’ll come out the victor.”
It seems, then, that Paulie expects a tougher fight from N’ dou in their rematch than what he will get from Hatton should they meet as planned. But stop Hatton? Let’s not forget Malignaggi has only a mere 5 KO’s from his 24 wins. Not only that, but the 27 year old has not stopped an opponent since way back in 2003. Malignaggi said not to laugh at his KO prediction of the tough-as-nails Hatton, but I feel that is what a large number of fight fans will do anyway.