Boxing News Boxing News
After controversy, heated conversations and negotiations were settled, former three-time lightweight world champion Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz and former junior welterweight world champion Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi met face-to-face yesterday to announce the December 12 rematch of their exciting August 22 bout.
Diaz and Malignaggi will square off on neutral ground at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois in a12 round junior welterweight bout that will be televised live on HBO’s Boxing After Dark.
Juan Diaz: “I’m very excited to be here in Chicago…all the people here treat me like I’m a real Chicago resident. I decided I liked it so much, I may adopt it as my second hometown.
“I’m not going to dwell on the past. The past is the past. This time around, it’s a different city and a new and different game plan.
“To be honest, fighting Paulie after coming off fighting Future Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez, I was not taking Paulie seriously and thought it was just another fight.
“This time, it’s personal, and on December 12, the whole world will feel my anger.”
Paulie Malignaggi: “I’m excited to be in Chicago, this city has produced great boxers and great boxing fans.
“I’m really happy I got the rematch…I made enough of a stink after the first fight to help get me the rematch.
“The reason this fight is so great is the boxing styles. Juan is a pressure fighter and I’m a defensive boxer, so it makes for a great show where you sit back and wait to see who can execute their game plan better.
“We are going to clear everything up on December 12.”
Tickets for the highly anticipated rematch are reasonably priced at $251, $156, $86, $51 and $31 and are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-312-226-5800, toll free at 1-800-745-3000 and at the UIC Pavilion Box Office (open Thursday and Friday from 9 am – 4 pm CT).
