Lovemore N’dou Wants World Boxing Title Back, Demands Malignaggi Rematch

The “Black Panther” Lovemore Ndou has arrived home in Sydney after a holiday in Las Vegas. He may not have returned with the IBF super lightweight world title after his points loss to Paulie Malignaggi on June 16, but he isn’t giving up just yet. He wants the IBF world title back.

“I give respect to Paulie Malignaggi and congratulate him on the win, but I wasn’t allowed to fight my fight that night,” said Ndou.

35 year-old Ndou was not happy with the style of fight the referee was enforcing during the match on the HBO network’s “Boxing After Dark” series

“If that referee does all of Malignaggi’s fights, he’ll never lose,” said Ndou. “From the word go he was warning me for things on the inside that I wasn’t doing. I have never been so frustrated in my career. I wasn’t allowed to fight on the inside. This is not ballet. If all fights are refereed like this, no Mexican boxer would ever win a match. Ricky Hatton would never have stopped Jose Luis Castillo!

“You have got to be allowed to work on the inside. The only way for me to win was to get on the inside and work and I wasn’t allowed to fight that way. The referee awarded Malignaggi a knockdown in round nine that was nothing more than a slip and he took a point off me in round six for hitting him behind the head without any warning. I knew from then on I had to knock Malignaggi out to win.”

Two of the judges in the fight didn’t give Ndou a round and the “Black Panther” questioned what fight they were scoring.

“I don’t know what fight they were watching, but I know I won rounds,” said Ndou. “The normal IBF procedure is to have one judge from each boxer’s country. That never happened? Malignaggi should fight me at a neutral venue or fight me in my hometown. He should do the same as what I did for him.”

Ndou is exercising the option in his contract for an immediate rematch and has written to promoter Lou DiBella requesting that he make the rematch with Malignaggi as soon as possible.

“I have been told the IBF has no objection to our rematch and the rematch with Malignaggi must happen,” said Ndou. “I gave him the opportunity to fight for the world title in the first place and he gave me his word after the fight that he would honour the contract for a rematch.

“Lou DiBella is an astute businessman and I believe they will keep their word. I have had some talks with my advisor Al Haymon who I have got all the trust in, my legal people and manager Bill Treacy and I believe the fight will happen.”

There will be no rest for Ndou over the next two weeks as he sits his university legal exams in Sydney.

“I have been doing some legal study while I was in Las Vegas,” said Ndou. “As soon as I have passed my exams, I will be preparing for the real test. Beating Paulie Malignaggi in a rematch to get back what I lost.”