By V.S.: A Slick Interview That Hits Below the Belt..in an interview By Andrew Mccart from IFL TV, Paulie Malignaggi opened up on the Smith Eubank rematch and his take on the controversial Dubois Usyk fight.
Hitting Low or Hitting Fair?
“I think the shot was good from Dubois. I didn’t think the shot was low.”
This remark from Malignaggi about Daniel Dubois’s contentious shot could clear the air for many. Was Dubois playing within the rules? According to Malignaggi, absolutely. The shot, he argues, was legal.
“Usyk had five minutes. Who knows if he would’ve gotten up if he didn’t have that much time?”
Did Dubois Quit?
“Absolutely [DuBois] quit later. There was no really big shot that would take him out of the fight… he just kind of looked for a way out, and he found it.”
The Rain Game
Malignaggi was clear-cut in his assessment that weather played a substantial role in the outcome of the match between DuBois and Usyk. He expressed disappointment at the organization for not adequately protecting the ring.
“The biggest problem with the whole fight is the rain. People don’t understand what an impact that has on the fight…In a wet ring, your push-off foot is sliding out from under you instead of giving you that push out… It’s disgraceful that you do not protect the ring in a fight of this magnitude.”
Footwork & Conditioning
Usyk, according to Malignaggi, was also a victim of the rain-soaked ring, impacting his usually exceptional footwork.
“Most likely he probably didn’t get the leverage he needed off his left foot because probably his left foot slid, so he didn’t get over to the right as much as he should have, and he was hit with the body shot.”
The Tyson Fury Factor
When asked about how Tyson Fury would perceive this fight, Malignaggi thinks the Gypsy King would be astute enough to understand the variables at play.
“Honestly, if you’re Tyson Fury, you understand what I’m talking about with the wet ring… he understands exactly what I’m talking about, and he knows the wet ring was a major factor.”
Full interview:
