
"118-110 is Gale Van Hoy sticking it to me...He knew I was complaining about him and what did he do? He did it to me on purpose because there's no way anybody won that fight 118-110. I didn't beat Juan 118-110 and Juan didn't beat me 118-110. That was not a 118-110 score. Gary Van Hoy just filled out his scorecard on purpose...I don't know how Gale Van Hoy keeps getting jobs man. Seriously! That's what's wrong with boxing," stated former jr. welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi as he shared his frustration with the media in attendance during the post-fight press conference. Check out everything Malignaggi had to say regarding the controversial scoring of his unanimous decision loss to Juan Diaz.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI:
"I think everybody obviously knows that I'm going to say that I thought I won the fight. I made an issue about the judges before. I wasn't making shit up. I felt very ready for the fight. I've said it very clearly, for nine months, I was waiting for an opportunity on the big stage since the Hatton fight because I felt with my ex-trainer I was sliding and sliding and I felt like that was the biggest problem. Once that Hatton fight was over with, I said, "You know something man? I keep looking like shit every single fight." And it's such a shame because that was my championship run and I looked terrible during it and I made a bad reputation for myself. So once I made the change and I started feeling good in the gym, I said, "Man, I need an opportunity on the big stage man." And this was the only opportunity obviously I was going to get coming off the bad Hatton performance, you know? But I said, "Man, I'll take a chance. I got these judges I don't agree with, but I think, wait till they get a load of me man." Because I know I was much better than I showed in the Hatton fight and it seemed like people forgot about the one fight I won the title or the Miguel Cotto fight I fought a few years ago. So I felt like I had to prove something through a performance and unfortunately, the Juan Diaz fight was the only opportunity I had on a big stage. I was offered a fight with Mike Alvarado on an Atlantic City card back in June, but Alvarado pulled out so the only opportunity I had was come to Texas and fight Juan Diaz.
Listen, I've been watching boxing a long time and you don't see too many good decisions in Texas with out-of-towners against Texas fighters, you know? I don't know who to blame. I put my two cents in before, you know? I said, "I don't want Gale Van Hoy and I don't want Raul Caiz." Honestly, Raul had it pretty close. He had it 7-5 Juan. I don't know. I gotta watch the fight on video. As always, I thought I won the fight as I was fighting him, but at least 7-5 was a close score. 118-110 is Gale Van Hoy sticking it to me. You know what I'm saying? Excuse my French, okay, but he bent me over and he fucked me. I said before the fight, "This guy does not ever, ever go against a Texas fighter in the state of Texas. Never ever ever." He knew I was complaining about him and what did he do? He did it to me on purpose because there's no way anybody won that fight 118-110. I didn't beat Juan 118-110 and Juan didn't beat me 118-110. That was not a 118-110 score. Gary Van Hoy just filled out his scorecard on purpose and said, "Let me fuck Paulie Malignaggi because he talked shit."
(Cheers and applause)
I don't know how Gale Van Hoy keeps getting jobs man. I don't know how the fuck he keeps getting jobs. Seriously! That's what's wrong with boxing. Oscar just said, "Oh, this hurts the integrity of boxing." Boxing has no fucking integrity man. It's been happening for years man. That's why this sport has no popularity left. Nobody watches this shit because every year, there's decisions like this and probably even worse than this because, like I said, I don't know how close this fight was; I thought I won it. But there's decisions that go worse than this where people get fucked constantly, you know what I'm saying? Nobody watches boxing anymore because of shit like this, you know what I mean?
I just hope I get another opportunity. I thank Golden Boy for giving me the opportunity. I know I'm more than an opponent. I think I proved myself; I'm a little bit more than that. I think I proved all my critics wrong. I think I proved that I was right in saying that I just needed a change in trainers to get back to what I was doing. I think when I go back to what I'm doing, I'm a dangerous opponent for anybody. I don't think I am an opponent. I think I'm still a world-class fighter. I hope all you guys agree with me on that. I hope I can get myself into a big fight. Juan deserves everything he gets because it's nothing personal against Juan. I know Juan would fight me out in the street, he would fight me in front of my doorstep. I would fight him anywhere too, you know? That's the way we are; we're warriors, man, you know? So I hope I get another opportunity. Juan deserves everything that comes to him after this fight. He's a great warrior and, man, a true fighter, man, a true fighter. People criticize me for being boring. I hope this fight, with Juan's help obviously, it was exciting."
[ Follow Ben Thompson on Twitter @fighthype ]