“I was an angry kid, and boxing kept me out of trouble.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“It’s a shame I have to hurt people. I’m a nice guy.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“A lot of people in barber shops all over Brooklyn talk about Paulie Malignaggi v. Zab Judah.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“They call me the Magic Man because I’m a classy fighter, a master of my craft, a good-looking Italian kid from Brooklyn who came through a dark and gritty life to find something magical.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I wasn’t exactly born with a silver spoon in my mouth.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Preparation in Miami is always good because of the weather.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Hatton don’t look much like a guy who thinks about commas. But he is a gentleman. His family are gentlemanly. Real classy people.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Once you come to America, you’re fighting top fighters. They’re not going to let you get away with the guys you’re fighting in England: you’re going to have to fight constant monsters.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I’m a competitor in anything I do, especially boxing.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“It’s always been a dream of mine to fight for the European title.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“There was a time in Amir Khan’s career when you had to fight him; you couldn’t really box him. You wouldn’t see Amir take beatings: if he lost, he would just get caught and stopped. It was hard to catch him clean and keep up with him in the ring because he was such a dynamic fighter.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I have got better over the years, and I know what sort of fighter I am.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I’m looking forward to a long, fruitful career now behind the mic, staying around the sport I love so much and the sport that changed my life for the better.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Madison Square Gardens is the Mecca of boxing.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“To say ‘I quit’ brings a lot of criticism, but to get disqualified and say the ref was unfair and harsh, in denial – fans will jump on that.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I’m proud of my Italian roots, and I’ve always believed that I would get the chance to fight for the belt.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Guys get hurt in fights. It doesn’t mean you stop a fight every time somebody gets hurt.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“You’ve got to be really hurt to stop a fight, especially to stop a championship fight.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“You need new ways to keep motivating yourself, and creative ways are part of the formula.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Sometimes when you get older, you need to tone down the trash talking, and sometimes you need younger fighters to bring it out of you.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“UFC has unbelievable fans, and boxing has unbelievable fans.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I do think Wilder can be a household name in America. He is a good fighter, and he has knockout power and has knockout potential, which is what you need as a heavyweight.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“American fight fans are in tune to Joshua because they know what he’s done, especially to Klitschko, and there is nothing not to like about him.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Range control is a big part of Floyd Mayweather’s arsenal.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“It is tougher to control range on a guy who is as tall, lengthy, and busy as Amir Khan, who has a very good jab.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I’m telling you, Amir Khan gives Floyd Mayweather problems.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Kevin Johnson is the kind of guy that gives guys trouble. He gives a lot of guys trouble. He gave Vitali Klitschko trouble.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“When I was part of McGregor’s sparring camp, I struggled to find words to compliment him; I knew he couldn’t fight from the first moment we sparred. It’s very hard to find nice things to say about his skills. Perhaps his best attribute is his intensity, but he has to do it cleanly.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“In camp, you’re supposed to get comfortable at being uncomfortable; you have to be ready for when you are being punched in the mouth.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Linares is one of those fighters that always oozes quality and class.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Sometimes, when it comes to multiple-weight world champions, they have so much skill that it eliminates the excitement out of the fights.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“For me, that is what made Leonard-Hearns stand out, because they made adjustments on each other, and it went back and forth continually. One had the advantage, then the other, then back to the first one, and so on.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I am a welterweight, so do I want to fight Mayweather or Pacquiao? To be honest, it has not entered my head.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Being the champion and getting a unification fight in your house gives you certain advantages.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I’m sure Adrien Broner would jump at the opportunity to pick up two belts in one night, and I think a lot of big names would take that opportunity.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“They put everything that’s wrong with boxing in one room, did everything that’s wrong with boxing in that room, and gave birth to Adrien Broner.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I have always admired Zab’s skills, and his resume speaks for itself.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I can’t make it doing anything else, the amount of money. Obviously, anybody can go to work and make money, but the paycheck I make boxing, I’m not going to make anywhere else.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I don’t really have the desire, as far as love of the game. It’s more about the paycheck I can make.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“We both do a lot of similar things with speed and boxing ability, but I think I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve for Zab. Zab will probably tell you he’s got some tricks up his sleeve for me.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“You can be taught so much, but the sense of anticipation cannot be taught.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Sometimes it’s kind of strange, and it’s definitely something I have to work on in the future, but when I’m big favourite in fights, it’s almost like I try too hard and try to force things to happen. That always seems to take a bad turn and makes my performance look bad, even if I win.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“In fights when I’ve had the odds stacked against me, I definitely perform better because it’s like a challenge to me – and I always like a challenge.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I just try to be the best fighter I can be.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I wouldn’t be surprised if I knocked Ricky Hatton out. It’s something that people are going to read and think I’m ridiculous, but if you look beyond what you see with naked eye, every time he gets hit clean, he’s hurt.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“The Americans love Carl Froch. He has brought nothing but excitement to these shores in those Super Six victories he produced.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“As long as the crowd make noise, I will be in my element, whether it is booing or cheering. The main thing is I get a reaction of some kind.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I would love to fight Ricky Hatton.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“People say I don’t punch hard, but I say, ‘Get in the ring with me and see if it hurts.’”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I have the experience to beat Hatton. I’ve been on the big stage.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I fought Miguel Cotto in Madison Square Garden on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day parade – it was like fighting the devil in Hell.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“My grandfather and my uncle took me to the gym. I was kinda wild; they thought that boxing would teach me a lesson, but I don’t think in their wildest dreams they could imagine the success I would have.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“At training camp, you brainwash yourself into thinking every,day is the same, no weekends or holidays. It’s all the same – a work day. You develop a mental state to just work hard and get ready for the fight.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“People are going to forget all about Herman Ngoudjo after our fight.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I believe it’s going to be easier to stop Ricky Hatton than it will be to stop Lovemore N’dou.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I thought I would make so much money and be the next Ray Leonard. Maybe it was farfetched, but I thought I could be a megastar. I could fight, and I had a lot of crossover appeal that was necessary to promote myself. I thought I’d make a ton of money and live off of it the rest of my life.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“You get the reality checks during the course of your adult life and your career, and you realize that as good as the money in boxing is, most of the time people most don’t make Ray Leonard or Oscar De La Hoya money, even if you make very good money.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I’m not complaining. I’ve made a very good living from boxing, better than any living I possibly could have done. Having said that, you don’t live the rest of your life off the money you make in boxing. You still have to create positive forms of income.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Money can make money if you’re intelligent about it and don’t waste it the wrong way.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I think I should I have beaten Ricky Hatton. I never thought he was so great, I really think I have the style to beat him. I never thought he was that good, you know.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Pacquiao has generated a lot of positive press for our sport, and that is something no one can complain about.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“The Hatton fight left a bad taste in my mouth.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“You can teach defensive wizardry, but you need the talent to go with it. You have to be born with that natural defensive radar.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Ricky Hatton has no sense of anticipation of what’s coming his way. You can teach him all you want, but he doesn’t have those instincts.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I didn’t mentally prepare as well for Ngoudjo as I should have. I was a little lax in the fight.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I do best when guys come at me. Stylistically, the Ricky Hatton fight is the best fight for me.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I haven’t got the credit I deserved sometimes, and some of it’s my fault.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“British boxing fans are amazing, and the O2 is one of the best venues in the world.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I know a lot of people want to see me fight in Italy.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I’m a fighter. That’s what I do. I am a fighter to the core.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Financially, I don’t have to fight again. I’ve done well for myself.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Jose Miguel Cotto may not have the resume of his brother, but he’s a good fighter.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“He’s a guy I should beat pretty handily. I shouldn’t have a competitive fight with Jose Miguel Cotto, in my eyes.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I don’t want to lose to an average champion. I want to lose to a great champion.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“My whole life, nothing was handed to me. I had to go out in the world and get it.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I’m all about trying to accomplish more in my life as best I can, be it in the ring or outside the ring.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“People view you differently when you’re a world champion.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Dealing with my first pro loss was the toughest adversity of my career.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I am a competitor, so I only want the best fighters in the world.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I was never tested in my first 21 fights.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I want to be given my credit and want to be given my respect.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“My mother really struggled when we were young. She was on food stamps and welfare. Looking back, I know we didn’t have a lot, but I never felt I was at a loss for anything.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I’m a very competitive person.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I want to win at everything I’m doing. It doesn’t matter what it is. I want to beat the person that I’m competing against.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I’m not looking to be an opponent and have a promoter match me with their up-and-coming star.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I don’t want to be a punching bag.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I’ve got a really good job commentating and watching great fighters fight ringside.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“It takes more than talent to get to the top.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“No talking has ever gotten me out of my game. The things that have gotten me out of my game in the past have definitely not been talking.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I try to keep it sweet, but trash-talking is fun, and people want to see if a brash kid like me can live up to his patter.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“My father took my mother, me, and my brother from Sicily to New York. He got us one-way tickets but booked himself a return flight. He dumped us with my mother’s parents, who had just arrived from Italy, and abandoned us. That was 1986. I didn’t see or speak to him for another 12 years. That’s cruel.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Every year, you hope that boxing can provide some of the best fights possible. I think 2018 was one of the better years for boxing. A lot of good matchups were made, and a lot of tickets were sold.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I’m not a complete idiot that just accuses people of something without having my reasons to believe what it is I’m saying.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I’m a boxer by nature, so, obviously, the jab is always key – but it is nice to know you’ve got a right hand behind it.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Hatton leads the wrong lifestyle to be a great fighter, and he does not have what it takes to be one of boxing’s best.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“You don’t have to like me as a person – I understand that I can get on people’s nerves with the antics I do in the ring. This is not a popularity contest. I’m trying to do whatever I can to win the fight.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“If I know my showboating bothers you, I’ll keep doing it. If playing with your mind is part of the arsenal, and I know it works, then I’m going to continue doing it.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“I try to do everything I can to make sure I stick in people’s minds.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“Everyone knows I love my fans. I wouldn’t change them for the world. They have been by my side and haven’t left me even when times have been tough. I try to chat with all my fans on Twitter.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
“When I retire, everyone is going to respect me for fighting the big names.”
― Paulie Malignaggi
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