RING ZONE: Your fight with Paulie Malignaggi has been talked about for a long time. You both won the Golden Gloves the same year and turned pro the same year. What do you think about the potential of a fight between you and Paulie happening in The Barclays Center in Brooklyn?
A: A fight between Paulie Malignaggi, 31-4 (7 KOs), and myself is a natural for NYC and Brooklyn and has been in the works for a long time. It will be a special electric night of boxing. Everywhere I go people stop and talk to me about the fight. There is a great energy in the city surrounding this event.
RING ZONE: Paulie has speed & skills but lacks a big punch, what do you expect from him?
A: Paulie is a very good boxer. He has better power then people give him credit for. He uses his legs to get in and out and his jab is his main weapon. Paulie just won the title, his confidence is high so I expect him to be aggressive and engage in a fight with me. I am hungry to win my first world title. It will be a very exciting fight. Paulie and I sparred as amateurs and when we first turned pro, so I am familiar with his style. It will be guns blazing.
RING ZONE: While you are 33-1-1 (17 KOs), and was ranked number one in the WBA some of your critics say you do not have that many big names on your record, what do you say?
A: I feel it is unjust that my critics try to diminish my accomplishments and my struggle in the sport. Throughout my career a lot of big fights that I signed for never came to fruition. This was completely outside of my control! I remember spending ten weeks in training camp and finding out about two weeks before my fight with Andrea Kotelnik for the WBA Jr Welterweight title that he pulled out. Unfortunately this has happened too many times in my career. People that follow my career either love me or hate me. People say, ‘Who have you fought?’ My answer to that is, I have faced a lot of tough men but when I try to step up and fight someone of note and the fight falls through I get criticized; that does not make sense! I have never gotten opportunities like most other top fighters. I am definitely a victim of an undeserved bad rap. Because of what I look like and the way I present myself people think that I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth. That could not be further from the truth. In my life and career it has been blood, sweat and tears ever since I started boxing at the age of thirteen. I gave my life to boxing and worked hard to build my career.
I want my chance to prove myself. America is a great country; the land of opportunity and I am waiting for my opportunity in a world title fight. The fight with Paulie," The Battle of Brooklyn" is it. I guarantee that I will prove my world class stature.
RING ZONE: How big do you think this fight will be in a Brooklyn venue, the Barclay CTR?
A: The buzz has begun, it will be huge! I do well at the gate fighting anyone. A fight with Paulie for the world title in Brooklyn will sell out in only days.
RING ZONE: You said that you want a tune up. Are you arranging that?
A: Yes I am working on getting a tune up fight.
RING ZONE: He is with Golden Boy; do you see that as a problem?
It’s no problem at all. I want to make the fight. Golden Boy knows that. I reached out to them and told them of my interest.
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