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Paul Malignaggi's SoCal State of Mind

By David A. Avila

Brooklyn native Paul Malignaggi doesn’t pull punches inside the ring or out. He says what he means with a crackling speed that mirrors his New York state of mind. But he does like Southern California. 

 “Things are more laid back,” said Malignaggi, 30. “It’s a breath of fresh air.” 

The quick-witted Malignaggi (28-4, 6 KOs) made Southern California his base and is set to fight Jose Miguel Cotto (32-2-1, 24 KOs) on Saturday April 9 at the MGM Grand. The heavy duty fight card will also be shown on HBO pay-per-view. 

With a recently signed contract with Golden Boy Promotions the speedy Brooklyn prizefighter decided to move his training camp to the Wild Card Boxing gym in Hollywood. It’s been more than a perfect match. 

“Everybody treated me good from the first day I walked in,” said Malignaggi, who lost to another Wild Card fighter Amir Khan nearly a year ago. “When I first sparred the whole gym would stop and watch. I guess they wanted to see what I could do. It was real quiet the first times I sparred.” 

Not any more. 

Malignaggi, who speaks Italian and Spanish, fits in quite comfortably in the gym that’s home to Manny Pacquiao, Khan, Efrain Esquivias, Lateef Kayode and a number of other exceptional prizefighters. 

“The sparring is much better over here,” he said. “I have to mind my Ps and Qs or they’ll run me over.” 

Eric Brown has become the Brooklyn boxer’s new trainer and runs him through his daily rigorous drills. Speed and defense are accentuated in every move. The snap of his punches are blurring and forceful on impact. 

“He’s getting there,” says Brown who is working in his second fight with Malignaggi.

Next opponent will be the older brother of one of Malignaggi’s former foes Miguel Cotto. The irony is not lost on Malignaggi. 

“When I fought Miguel, I was promoting the fight and I said I’m going to beat all the Cottos,” said Malignaggi, adding that he was joking and had to hype his own fights with verbal attacks and self promotion to gather interest. “I was just kidding. But this guy took it personal.” 

The older brother of current WBA junior middleweight titleholder Miguel Cotto has only two losses in his pro career. Though he doesn’t have the overall boxing reputation of his younger brother, Jose does have firepower. 

Last year Jose Cotto, 33, fought current WBC junior middleweight titleholder Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in a non-title bout. Though he was stopped in the ninth round he did buckle the knees of the Mexican phenom early in the fight. Twenty-four boxers can attest to Cotto’s power. 

“He can punch,” says Malignaggi. 

Throughout the Brooklyn fighter’s pro career he’s always faced fearsome knockout punchers and been able to circumvent their power with his own speed and cunning. It’s not easy to do. 

But things are different for Malignaggi in Southern California as he has quickly become a lightning rod for Hollywood offers to do possible reality television programs. The move to Los Angeles has opened up new doors. 

“It’s my ******* mouth that’s kept me in the public eye,” admits Malignaggi who’s been approached by Hollywood entertainment agencies. “I like the attention. Unless you’re Latino you don’t get followed. Sometimes you have to be disliked.” 

Now with the California sunshine at his back the Brooklyn native has found offers he wouldn’t have entertained back home. 

“To get to this point it makes me feel blessed,” Malignaggi says. “If everything goes well I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.” 

California, meet New York. 

Las Vegas card

On the same card: Mexico’s Erik Morales (51-6) fights Argentina’s Marcos Maidana (29-2) in a junior welterweight clash; Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (28-1-1) fights Michael Katsidis (27-3) in a lightweight bout; Danny Garcia (20-0) fights Nate Campbell (33-7-1) in a junior welterweight battle; and James Kirkland (27-0) faces Japan’s Nobuhiro Ishida (22-6-2) in a junior middleweight contest.

Fights on television

Fri. ESPN2, 6 p.m., David Lemieux (25-0) vs. Marco Antonio Rubio (49-5-1).

Fri. Showtime, 11 p.m., Marcus Johnson (20-0) vs. Dyah Davis (18-2-1).

Fri. Telefutura, 11:30 p.m., Jesse Vargas (14-0) vs. Vivian Harris (29-5-1).

Sat. HBO pay-per-view, 6 p.m. Erik Morales (51-6) vs. Marcos Maidana (29-2); Robert Guerrero (28-1-1) vs. Michael Katsidis (27-3); Paul Malignaggi (28-4) vs. Jose Miguel Cotto (32-2-1).