"I haven't felt this confident in so long. When I get in the ring, I just feel unbeatable, untouchable. I'm talking about in sparring, I'm talking about in fights; I feel great. I've been feeling great all year. I can just feel the improvement and I'm going to continue to improve. They can give me whoever they want in 2010 man, and that includes Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and whoever else wants to step up to the plate and get it because whoever they put in there with me has got their hands full, I promise! Believe me, I got something for everybody in 2010," stated former jr. welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi as he shared his thoughts on his future plans, including a potential clash with undefeated multi-division champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. You don't want to miss what else he had to say in this explosive interview as he talks about Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, their megafight being called off and more.
BT: What's up Paulie? You know I had to hit you up to get your take on the Mayweather-Pac fight falling through.
PM: It basically just boils down to the same things I've been saying. I find it amazing that the public and the general media's consensus is that it's Mayweather's fault. I mean, the guy is basically reacting on something that's pretty obvious to anybody who's been an athlete at a decently high level. If you've been an athlete at a decently high level, you can pretty much see for yourself that Pacquiao is not something normal, you know what I mean? There's something superhuman about him. Regardless of Mayweather saying...okay, he's on something or he's not on something...whatever you want to say, the best way to do it is to just take the precautions. It's so simple. It wouldn't be doing anything that he hasn't done before. I mean, they asked him to take blood tests and he said he wouldn't do it in 30 days. Then he got caught lying because he had done it before. I wouldn't have needed the video to know that he's lying because all my blood tests for all my fights are always done in 30 days. It's standard procedure for any fighter to do it within 30 days, you know? So the only problem he had with the blood tests was that they were going to have it done to test the specific drugs and stuff, not just the diseases, because normally they only test for Hepatitis and stuff like that. In all actuality, he was lying from the start because all fighters get their blood tested within 30 days of the fight. We never needed the 24/7 video to know he was lying...I had respect for both of them prior to all of this. I still have a lot of respect for Floyd, but I've lost all respect for Pacquiao. Regardless of what you consider your personal feelings towards these fighters, what's right is right and what's wrong is wrong ultimately. Why not just take the test? I mean, you're willing to leave $40 million on the table over a blood test? I don't know man. It's pretty simple, take the test and after you beat it, fight the same way you've been fighting and if you don't get your fucking ass kicked all over the place, which I guarantee he would have because he'd see what it's like to be the smaller man going up to a weight class he doesn't belong in, then he can prove me wrong. But he knows what would happen. He needs to be able to do what he's got to do and that's not be tested because obviously...to me, it shows a guilty conscience that he's not willing to be tested and he needs to be on something to be taking out these bigger men because if he's not, these bigger men would show him what it's like to be in a ring with a bigger, stronger man. He'd get his ass kicked from pillar to post and he can't afford to do that so that's why we're not having Mayweather vs. Pacquiao on March 13th.
BT: You know, I found it kind of funny that they were talking about him moving up to 154 to fight Yuri Foreman, although that's off the table now. If I was looking at jr. welterweights, I don't think I could picture any of you - you, Timothy Bradley, Amir Khan, Juan Urango, Devon Alexander - any of you moving up to 154 pounds and being strong, powerful or effective against any...
PM: (Cutting in) It's really tough to do man. Just from 140 to 154 is a big jump. Guys have done in the past; someone like Pernell Whitaker did it for, I can't remember, one or two fights, but Pernell did it without getting hit. This guy [Pacquiao] is coming up with all kinds of offensive firepower and outmuscling, outstrengthing and outpunching these bigger men, you know what I mean? It's not normal unless he's on performance-enhancers and that's just my opinion. And why don't you just take the test if you're not then? You're doing something that nobody's ever seen done. You just don't know because you can not compare anything that he's doing. You know what this guy is doing is not humanly possible. It's not doable.
BT: But why Manny? Why is it Manny that has to be subjected to this? Why hasn't this ever been requested before and why...
PM: (Cutting in) Because nobody's ever done what Manny's done. Nobody will do what Manny's done. I feel Manny might be on something, I'm telling you. I feel Manny might be on something and I'm telling you I'm not the only one who feels like that. I'm just the one being very outspoken about it. I feel Manny might be on something, that's why it's Manny. Because he's doing shit that's very suspicious. It's not what he's achieving, it's the way he's achieving it that's very suspicious, you know what I'm saying? So that's why Manny. Why test somebody else when there's nobody else to be suspicious about? Floyd Mayweather started his career at 130 and he's been as high as 154, but there's nothing suspicious about Floyd Mayweather. You just don't hit him. If you don't hit him, there's nothing suspicious about being able to outbox a bigger man. He's outboxing and outspeeding bigger men. He's not showing that he has a better chin by getting hit. He's just being a more intelligent fighter by beating these guys, so there's nothing suspicious about that when you're that good. But this guy [Pacquiao] is not that good. I mean, he's a good fighter; I'm not taking anything away from Manny Pacquiao, you gotta focus when you fight like that, so he's pretty good, but he's not that good.
BT: I hear ya, but you know Paulie, fans are going to read your comments and say, "You know what Paulie? That sounds good that you're saying that now, but when your name was being thrown around as a possible opponent for Manny, you weren't going to ask him to take any blood tests."
PM: Yeah, you're right, but I wouldn't have had a choice. I wouldn't have had a choice, but I try to keep it in perspective. I don't have a legacy to fight for. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have a legacy to fight for, so I have to go in there and take that chance and know that in the back of my mind that Manny Pacquiao hasn't seen my style. You're looking at a guy who's going to try to oubox him, outslick him, make him pay when he misses and basically try to put him behind the 8 ball as far as winning rounds are concerned. Ultimately, I don't have a legacy to fight for. The general consensus and the general opinion of people, no matter what I achieve from here on out, it is what it is. I lost my legacy in 2 years and you don't get that back, you know what I mean? People still bring up the fact that, "Oh, Malignaggi got beat by Hatton, so what's he going to do against Floyd Mayweather?" I'm not the same guy I was. I was a better fighter when I fought Miguel Cotto than I was back then, you know what I mean? I made some mistakes, I learned the hard way and I moved on. I don't have that legacy to fight for, so I can go in there and take that chance, but Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather would have been fighting for the right to be called the best fighter of the era. It's not even a question if Floyd Mayweather is the best fighter of this era. It's not even a question. This guy [Pacquiao] might need something to enhance himself in order to compete with someone like Floyd. You know what? Manny Pacquiao at 122, 126 and 130, the guy was phenomenal, but he was still a guy who got hit and he was still a guy who was flawed offensively, no matter how offensively powerful he was. He was still that guy, so you always have to question him against a boxer and against a slickster because he never fought them. I would have went in there with the attitude...I still would have gone in there thinking he was doing something illegal; I still would have went in there thinking that, but you know what? I would have also went in there knowing that he's never fought someone coming in there with my style. I'm not the fighter who lost to Ricky Hatton bro. If I get Ricky Hatton now, I make him look like he don't even belong in the ring with me. I assure you of that. I assure you of that, believe me. I don't have a legacy to worry about like Floyd, so I'd go ahead and take that chance against Manny Pacquiao, you know what I mean?
BT: (Laughing) I hear ya bro, but I'm telling you, you're going to have a lot of haters who say...
PM: (Cutting in) You know what? I see the comments. Filipinos just think that I'm hating because a Filipino guy has achieved so much and all this stuff, but it's not really about that because Nonito Donaire is one of my favorite fighters bro. Nonito Donaire, I love Nonito Donaire. I watch him fight all the time. That guy is amazing. That guy is a great talent. They can try to throw the race card, they can try to throw any card out there, but you know what? I've never been so against somebody as I am now!
BT: How crazy is it for you to go from being named as a possible opponent for Manny Pacquiao to now being named as a possible opponent for Floyd Mayweather?
PM: I've known already that my name was in the mix for Floyd Mayweather. At the end of the day, the guys that trouble Floyd throughout his career are the guys that can match his speed. They just couldn't be consistent. If you can match your speed with Floyd and then be consistent with what you do...believe me, I'll be more than ready. The guys who have given Floyd trouble are the guys that can match his speed, so, again, I will be confident in knowing that I've got certain things that can trouble even Floyd Mayweather. I'll say it again, I'm not the same fighter that I was at the end of '08. I made a mistake, I changed trainers, I'm getting back to doing what I was doing...I'm actually doing better things now than I've ever been doing in my career. Not only do I have a good trainer, but I have a trainer that actually understands my style now. I learned it the hard way, trainers make a big difference. I learned that the very hard way. Me and Mayweather have a score to settle because Mayweather Sr. beat me with Ricky Hatton at the end of '08. It wasn't so much what Mayweather Sr. made Ricky Hatton do as much as it was what Buddy didn't make me do anymore.
BT: They [Team Mayweather] haven't actually contacted Lou [DiBella] or anything, have they? Have they reached out to you guys yet?
PM: I've been hearing some rumors swirling, but I don't know exactly what's going on. But I've been hearing rumors swirling.
BT: Well those rumors have been swirling for a couple days now and a lot of fans are wondering what kind of chance does Paulie Malignaggi actually stand against Floyd Mayweather.
PM: Yeah, because like I said, people will look at those 2008 performances and they wonder why because I don't have anything as far as legacy is concerned, you know what I mean? And that's a shame, you know? Sometimes it bothers me bro. But you know what, I'm not the same fighter. I was with a guy who totally disassembled my style. In two years, I should have seen it because it was happening little by little. I mean, I know nobody's going to...believe me man. Believe me. I work hard. I work real hard. Unfortunately I can't get those years back man, I can only come forward. I mean, Ricky Hatton outboxed me, that's a shame in and of itself. There's no way in the world that Ricky Hatton outboxes me. I was disassembled as a fighter. But look at the quick, rapid progression I made after the change. Look at my performances in '09. It's not a coincidence man. It's not a coincidence. I'm getting better and better and, you know, like I said before, the guys that give Floyd Mayweather problems are the guys that had speed and I have plenty of speed. I can match speed with anyone in the world, especially when you allow me to have that style that I like to fight, man, I can get my hands off on anyone when I fight like that.
BT: I take it if they do come at you, you'll fight him at 147, you'll take whatever blood tests they want and none of that would be a problem.
PM: None of that's a problem because I'm clean bro. Why would you put a fight in jeopardy over a blood test man? Come on man. The Olympic athletes gotta use USADA. They're like, "Oh, Pacquiao doesn't want to get distracted. Pacquiao wanted this. Pacquiao wanted that." Come on man. It's just baby shit. It's just bullshit. I don't see how people don't see it. Even if you're a Pacquiao fan, open up your damn eyes. Come on man.
BT: I don't want to take up too much more of your time man. What a difference a year makes. You got anything else you want to say in closing?
PM: Listen man, listen, I'm telling you, I got something for everybody in the world man. I assure you of that. I assure you of that. I feel very good. Not only do I feel like I'm doing the things I was doing earlier in my career, based off the speed and the reflexes, which I still have plenty of, but I feel like I'm with a trainer that I'm actually learning from as well. You take what I got as far as talent is concerned and I'm actually learning, which I haven't done in a long time, you know? For a while I was getting worse. For a while, I was getting worse. Now, not only am I not getting worse, but I'm actually getting better and that, to me, is reassuring. When I step in the ring man, believe me, I feel so confident. It's just amazing. I haven't felt this confident in so long. When I get in the ring, I just feel unbeatable, untouchable. I'm talking about in sparring, I'm talking about in fights; I feel great. I've been feeling great all year. I can just feel the improvement and I'm going to continue to improve. They can give me whoever they want in 2010 man, and that includes Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and whoever else wants to step up to the plate and get it because whoever they put in there with me has got their hands full, I promise! Believe me, I got something for everybody in 2010!
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