FightHype.com recently caught up with former jr. welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi to get his take on the news of the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao megafight falling through. Needless to say, the always talkative and outspoken Malignaggi had a lot to say regarding Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao...particularly Manny Pacquiao, who he strongly believes is the one to blame for the fight being called off. "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...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 [expletive] 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," Malignaggi stated, and that was just part of his reponse to the first question.
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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.
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