Paulie Malignaggi previews Ultimate Boxxer and confirms future plans in boxing
This weekends boxing sees standout cards coming to us from both sides of the Atlantic, with Dillian Whyte headlining at the O2 in London this Saturday night against undefeated Oscar Rivas for the WBC World Interim title; Manny Pacquiao and Keith Thurman clash in Las Vegas on the same night as they dispute the WBA World Welterweight title; and BT Sport also presents the latest instalment of Ultimate Boxxer which many would agree is a solid way to kick off an explosive weekend of boxing.
Two-weight world champion Malignaggi is one the ground in the United Kingdom, as his analyst duties will be on display on the Whyte vs Rivas card on Sky Sports on Saturday evening as well as the Ultimate Boxxer card on Friday evening. Malignaggi opened up about the hectic schedule and gave his take on this weekends action.
The Brooklyn native said, "It's been all go for me lately, I flew straight from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia which was an amazing experience in itself, straight to London for Whyte vs Rivas fight week. I'm in Manchester for two days then back to London for the Matchroom show so it is hectic but I love doing this and I'm grateful that people enjoy my analysis in a way that creates a demanding schedule for me."
Malignaggi continued, previewing the weekend's action as a whole, "Firstly I'm at Ultimate Boxxer this Friday night and I really have a soft spot for these events. The UB shows are a lot of fun and really unpredictable with explosive action throughout and I can't pick a winner in that one. The first three shows have all had shocks in them and I expect the same from this one and some big hitting action too in the 200lbs division.
"Whyte Rivas is a really good fight and that card has got explosive action throughout itself. I think the main event is going to be a great fight as it's really hard to pick a winner in that one. A lot of these fights come down to who has had the better training camp and who simply turns up on the night. I think the Matchroom card as a whole as got some really exciting fights throughout. Szpilka Chisora and Allen Price are all fights that could end in big knockouts, so it's a show that shouldn't be missed.
"Thurman Pacquiao is another close one. There are a lot of variables that go into that fight that we will only find out on the night. Pacquiao is a legend in the sport and Thurman is a top-quality fighter so it's going to be a close fight in my opinion. It's another great card from top to bottom that I think is unmissable."
Questions have arisen about the future of the New Yorker in recent weeks, and Malignaggi cleared up what his future holds in the sport of boxing.
The Magic Man said, "My future at this point is on the commentary and analyst booth. I enjoy doing it and there appears to be quite a big demand for my services so moving forward that is my main focus when it comes to boxing. I have a few other projects I'm involved in such as Ultimate Boxxer but for me my main focus is on my analysis work."