Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ - Finally! Paulie Malignaggi(27-3, 5 KOs) wins a notable bout (and the IBF light welterweight belt) and showcases his talent on a big stage. Yes, flamboyant and easy to hate, the Magic Man displayed his crafty style of stick and move against a promising Juan Diaz(35-3, 17 KOs), who had beaten Paulie just 4 months earlier.
After losses in his last 3 big fights, 1 from Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton each, the kid from Brooklyn had his chance to shine on neutral ground from the UIC Pavillion in Chicago and that he did. In an effort to redeem a controversial loss in Diaz’s hometown in August, Paulie went to work early using his signature jab and opted to take advantage of his height and speed. Diaz aka the Baby Bull fired things up in rounds 3-5, inticing Malignaggi to come close and brawling inside. The Magic Man hung in there, egging Diaz on with a tounge here and a bug-eye there, but kept his head and fought smarter as the fight progressed.
The hardest shots were absorbed by Malignaggi, no doubt, but the continuous work and movement shown by the elder fighter made way for a dominant result as Paul won the unanimous decision 116-111 across the board. No controversy here. And for anyone who saw both fights, you would likely agree that the Magic Man earned both of these and deserves the belt…for now.
Malignaggi reacts after hurting Diaz
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