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Fightnews caught up with Brooklyn’s own Paulie Malignaggi (21-0, 5 KOs) who was in attendance at the Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum watching the world title defense of the man who is going to be his next rival, WBO jr. welterweight champion Miguel Cotto. The Cotto vs Malignaggi title fight is now official and will be held at the Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 10, the day before the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade.
How would you rate Miguel Cotto’s performance?
He looked good. He did what he had to do against of the opponent he had in front of him. Branco put up a tough fight. He’s durable but he really didn’t make Miguel think, you know what I mean? You really have to make Miguel think in there. You have to put him on a situation where he has to adjust and make an adjustment in the fight and I don’t think Branco ever did that in the fight, but considering that Cotto did a good job.
What could you bring different that makes you think you could defeat Miguel Cotto?
I’m a diverse fighter, I diversify my attack, I diversify the way move around the ring. I’m come in, I’m come out, I got fast hands, you know? I adjust to what’s in front of me and at the end of the day that’s what I do, I’m a thinking fighter. I’m going to make Miguel Cotto think, that’s how I’m going to beat Miguel Cotto.
What do you think about Miguel Cotto fracturing Branco’s jaw and possibly dislocating his arm? What do you think about his power?
I always knew he was a strong fighter. Every fighter has his strengths and weaknesses. Miguel Cotto's strength is definitely his power. So it’s nothing that surprises me. When I see Miguel Cotto hurting these guys it doesn’t surprise me because that’s his strength. Like I said I’m going to make Miguel Cotto think. It takes more than strength to beat me. You've got to be more than a bully to beat Paulie Malignaggi.
Have you ever been hurt in a fight?
Never been hurt, never been down. I’ve barely have even been touched. I look like a model. I don’t look like fighter.
After your last fight with Donald Camarena, do you think that performance was convincing enough to be at Cotto’s level?
I don’t think it really matters. I take every fight at a separate entity. I've got 21 pro fights, I’m undefeated in 21 pro fights. That’s the past and Miguel Cotto is in the future. I take every single fight, put it aside and train for that fight. I was ready for Camarena. I beat down Camarena. Now I’m going to be ready for Miguel Cotto come June 10th. It’s just Miguel Cotto. I not thinking who I just fought, already I’m thinking about Miguel Cotto and the proper adjustments I need to make to beat Miguel Cotto.
Where will your training camp will be held?
We have a training camp based in Massachusetts, also in the Poconos we're thinking right now. I’m just enjoying the island. I’m having a good time. I’m leaving tomorrow and we’ll start to make preparations and decide what we are going to do in the next couple of weeks.
What do you think about comments made by Bernard Hopkins and Antonio Tarver who have a competing pay-per-view fight the same day?
Trash man, trash. It's a fight nobody wants to watch anyway. You take those like a grain of salt. It’s two guys that are on their last hurrah. They're almost at social security age trying to compete with two young fighters in their prime, hungry, that are going to make a name for themselves in boxing, and then they're going to try to trash our show. They're gonna need all the help they can get for that show, because competing with this show ain’t nobody going to watch that show.
