By Michael Byrne: Let me begin this article with a diagnosis of Paulie Malignaggi. Everyone knows Paulie has limited power, but he is undeniably an elite boxer. Paulie statistically has the best jab in boxing: he throws more than anyone else, and he lands it more than anyone else. In the 6th round against Zab Judah last Saturday night, Showtime’s stats had Paulie throwing 32 jabs and landing half of them. This is absurd.
Now, I’m not saying Paulie has the ‘best’ jab in boxing, because he doesn’t, but he understands the importance of it and he uses it to his advantage better than almost anyone else. Particularly in the Adrien Broner and Vyacheslav Senchenko fights, Malignaggi was keen to lead with the jab and throw a large arsenal of punches behind it in beautiful combinations.
I attended Malignaggi-Broner, and was in absolute awe of the fluidity of the combinations he was landing on Broner. Further than just his jab and his combination punching, however, is his movement. He suffered against Pablo Cesar Cano last year because he didn’t move enough, which led to people criticizing his legs and saying he was too old. However, he came back against Broner to dispel those claims and show great lateral movement, and his footwork against Judah was even more impressive.
Indeed, Judah commented in the post-fight presser that he just couldn’t find Malignaggi because he didn’t know which way he was going to step, and this allowed Paulie to get shots off from angles. A sweeping right hook was particularly impressive last Saturday. He was also able to push Judah onto the back foot for pretty much the entire fight. Further, we all know he has a great chin. So Paulie has a masterful jab, great combinations, great movement, and is comfortable on both the front and back foot and hard to hurt: all enviable characteristics. However, as well all know, he has no power.
Malignaggi went 21-0, gathering impressive victories over Rocky Martinez and several fighters with decent records, before his first loss came in 2006 to a 26-0 Miguel Cotto. Malignaggi sustained his first cut via a first round headbutt, he was dropped in the second and his orbital bone was broken, but over twelve rounds the fight was very tight. Yes, Cotto won, there is no doubt, but Paulie out-boxed Cotto for long periods, staying on the outside and even mixing it with him when he had to. This was the first time Malignaggi went twelve rounds, and he did an exceptional job of it and you can’t take anything away from him for falling short there.
One year, and two fights later he got his first world title by beating Lovemore N’dou, before meeting Ricky Hatton in 2008. Hatton had fallen to Mayweather the year previous, and came in with a point to prove. This is the first time Malignaggi’s lack of power proved his clear downfall. Hatton walked through Paulie, because he was able to plod forwards through Paulie’s weak shots and rip big punches to his body and chin, before Kenny Bayless stopped the beat-down in the 11th when Buddy McGirt threw in the towel. There was no specific need for the stoppage, but there was no need to carry the fight on, either. Malignaggi was able to counter Hatton with fair regularity, but Hatton walked through the counters to keep landing harder shots. Hatton’s saying ‘It’s not a tickling contest’ seemed particularly relevant here as Paulie was given his second loss and his major weakness, although already apparent, was brutally exposed.
2009 witnessed a fantastic fight with Juan Diaz who was coming off his first thriller against Marquez, and even though Marquez won that fight, Diaz was ranked the #2 lightweight in the world when he stepped up to 140, and was heavy favourite to win. Malignaggi dropped a highly controversial UD here, with particular criticism going to judge Gale Van Hoy for the bizarre scoring of a 118-110 margin. Lederman had Malignaggi winning (not that Lederman can score a fight, mind), and so did most of the audience. However, Malignaggi got the rematch and secured victory a second time round in December of the same year.
In his next fight he was dominated by Amir Khan, and he receives a lot of criticism for this. However, my argument is that Amir Khan is half of the perfect fighter. His speed can’t be rivaled, and his combinations are fast and overwhelming, even if he does tend to flurry a little. His chin is often criticized, but wrongly so. Yes, Danny Garcia dropped him hard with a left hook, but that same left hook spun Erik Morales 180 degrees and through the ropes. Khan has looked out on his feet a little too often in his career, but that isn’t because he has no chin, it’s because he leaves his chin high in the air to get tagged when he finishes punching. Danny Garcia has an absurd ability to counter shots without even bothering to slip them, and it was this ability which allowed his left hand to fins Khan’s exposed chin and drop him. So the negative side of Khan’s boxing is his defence, as well as a complete lack of knowledge of fighting on the inside, and questionable ring IQ. But, getting back on topic, it takes a certain type of fighter to beat Khan and unfortunately for Paulie, it’s the opposite type to him. Khan out-gunned, out-flurried, and out-worked Malignaggi before Steve Smoger talked to Malignaggi’s corner after the 10th and stopped it in the 11th.
Some decent performances against B-level fighters in Michael Lozada, Jose Miguel Cotto, and Orlanda Lora somehow got Malignaggi a shot at WBA champion Vyacheslav Senchenko, who was undefeated against 32 nobodies. Paulie did what he does best and out-boxed Senchenko behind his jab, and threw some decent combinations before a swelling over Senchenko’s eye cause an end to the fight, and gave Paulie his second belt.
He looked uncharacteristically old in his first defence against Pablo Cesar Cano, but then came out against Adrien Broner as a heavy underdog and once more did what he always does. Although he dropped a split, critics and armchair fans alike ignorantly called it ‘the performance of his lifetime’. Not really – it was just standard Paulie. He most recently went into the Judah fight as a slight underdog, because for some reason people still didn’t understand that, unless you’re a relentless come-forward fighter like Hatton or Cotto, or a lighting-fast, voluminous puncher like Amir Khan, Paulie Malignaggi will outbox you. And yes, Broner did deservedly win, but Broner does ‘seem’ to be a special talent (as much as that pains me to say, because he’s also a terrible human) and Paulie did outbox Broner for most of the fight. So Paulie out-boxed Judah for every minute of the twelve rounds and has maybe finally got some credit.
It’s kind of interesting to think that if Paulie was able to add a little sting to his shots, then very few people at Welterweight would be able to mess with him. However, whilst it may be interesting it’s also pointless to speculate, so instead we’re going to proceed to assess the reality of Paulie’s situation, and look at his options. 147 is probably boxing’s most dangerous division right now. He’s said he wants the winner of the Broner-Maidana fight, but this is a big risk. I believe he would easily outbox Maidana, because although Maidana is a come-forward fighter like Hatton and Cotto, he falls a few steps short of their greatness: he doesn’t have Hatton’s footwork or Cotto’s clinical accuracy. On the other hand, if Broner beats Maidana then I can see him beating Malignaggi too. Broner would be properly settled into the division, would have more 12 round experience, and probably wouldn’t so foolishly underestimate Malignaggi again.
Other, perhaps more sensible options for Paulie do exist, but he must pick his remaining fights carefully. If he wants ‘big’ wins, he could probably outbox undefeated Jessie Vargas, who has looked suspect in a few of his recent victories. Or maybe he could get Robert Guerrero in the ring and use the same kind of footwork he did against Judah to keep the dirty, infighting Guerrero off balance. Alternatively, Paulie’s mouth is just as good as his fists, so what if he could talk his way into a fight with undefeated WBO champion Tim Bradley. Obviously he would be the underdog, but Bradley doesn’t hit hard or with exceptional volume, and if Paulie could keep him on the end of his jab for twelve rounds then he could well get a decision. Or what if, maybe a couple of fights down the line if he gets some decent wins, he even talked his way into a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Before I get verbally slaughtered, Floyd is a wildly superior talent to Paulie. Fact. I like Paulie, but let’s not get carried away. However, stylistically Malignaggi could do well against Floyd. He doesn’t over-commit so Floyd couldn’t counter with the same effectiveness, his hand speed is good, his combinations are clever, he doesn’t rely upon a straight right-hand which can’t be landed on Floyd, and his lack of power won’t be a major problem because Floyd doesn’t often apply heavy pressure anymore. So, if Paulie wanted to rack up a few wins and then secure one last payday in the ring, he would probably come away with a loss, but he would have nothing to lose against Mayweather. Everyone comes away with a loss against Mayweather, but if Paulie takes a few rounds then he’s going to be remembered more fondly than if he is just dominated by someone like Keith Thurman.
So to tie this up, Paulie could well have been a real great if only he had some power, but he doesn’t. So now, in the twilight of his career, if he picks his fights more carefully than he has done in the past (he was never going to beat Hatton or Khan), he can be remembered as the great technician that he is.
Comments are closed.