When Juan ‘The Baby Bull’ Diaz faces off with Paulie ‘Magic Man’ Malignaggi this coming August 22nd there will be a sense of desperation in the air. Despite both men being champions on the rise less than a year and a half ago things have changed dramatically for both men since.
In November of last year Malignaggi looked average in many areas as he was overwhelmed by Ricky Hatton’s pressure and aggression in Las Vegas, ultimately resulting in an 11th round stoppage after trainer Buddy McGirt chose to throw in the towel. Diaz was last seen in a fast paced, give and take battle with Juan Manuel Marquez on February 28th and he too would suffer a disheartening finish inside of the ring. Despite setting a ferocious pace against his older foe, Diaz was worn down by Marquez’ pinpoint punching and body work as he suffered a brutal eight round knockout at the hands of the Mexican warhorse.
With the Hatton and Marquez fights now in their rearview mirrors, Diaz and Malignaggi can focus on one another in what looks like a make or break contest for both men. Despite showing flashes of promise as champions, Paulie and Juan’s most recent memories that they have left in the eyes of boxing fans is that of their shortcomings as fighters.
It’s a fight that is sure to tell a lot about what each man has left and the tension in the air should be high come fight night. Wanting to get a deeper perspective of the bout, 8 Count News drove through a few choice forums to get a pulse for what the fans are saying about the contest. From both men’s lack of power, who they are favoring, and more, this is what people are saying about Diaz vs. Malignaggi…
(Xplosive @ FightBeat.com)…
“I'm surprised HBO would give Paulie another shot after the disgraceful non-performance against Flattened. But I guess they wanna bring their Golden Boy Diaz back with a win. My guess... Diaz beats the hell outta Paulie, then they feed the Baby Cow to Victor Ortiz.”
(TyrantT316 @ Boxingfanatics.com)…
“Diaz (wins). Pressure, consistency, skills, hunger. And Diaz at least hits harder and often enough to hurt you.”
(E In Denver @ EastSideBoxing.com)…
“This fight has "decision" written all over it. Neither guy really carries any power. Paulie is too erratic(a Brooklyn trademark) to put $$ on. At least w/ Diaz you know he is ready to go a full Hard 12 rounds. I have to go w/ Diaz based on work rate, & consistency.”
(ultimoshogun @ TheSweetScience.com)…
“Malignaggi's gonna get owned. He won't be able to handle the blistering pace that Diaz always brings to the ring.”
(Dread @ MaxBoxing.com)…
“Nice matchup except for the 138.5 part… And the Malignaggi part”
(Neil @ FightBeat.com…)
“The amount of playdough in these two combatants’ fists could keep pre schools from Portland to Pensacola well supplied for years. Diaz would be better off waiting for Pacquiao to get beat up by Mayweather jr or Cotto, then hope he can get the call as a comeback opponent. way more money for inevitable knockout loss.”
(BKING @ Boxingfanatics.com)…
“Def. going with Diaz here. Diaz is bigger, stronger, more aggressive, and more active. At least for the past couple years, Malignaggi does more profiling than punching in the ring. Not only does Malignaggi not hit hard enough, he's hardly been letting his hands go!”
(Fightfan @ EastSideBoxing.com)…
“Paulie is a badly faded boxer who should find a new line of work. His mouth wrote checks his a$$ couldn't cash. He's finished.”
(Mister Lee @ TheSweetScience.com)…
“It depends, if Paulie fights with magic, it could be a SD, or even a UD if he takes over the late rounds (especially if he can cut Diaz), if Diaz’s pressure and volume are too much, it will be a nightmare for Paulie. It's a crossroads fight for both fighters, but Paulie needs this win way more than Diaz. I would pick Paulie by a SD. Guys he's got two losses (I guess so does Diaz), I gotta root for Paulie this fight, but we'll see if he can handle the volume and infighting, if he can stick and move, keep his distance and catch Diaz coming in, it will be a long night for Diaz.”
(RoyJonesJRpfpno1 @ FightBeat.com)…
“This fight makes no sense at all. Putting one of the most entertaining fighters in with one of the most boring fighters. GBP promotes a lot of guys at 135 that Diaz could fight and would be exciting.”
(ShadowsFall @ MaxBoxing.com)…
“This is going to be like watching two men with paint-ball guns trying to kill each other.”
(BJ* @ Boxingfanatics.com)…
“the Malignaggi that lost to Cotto showed heart...it’s easy to make fun of him but he's only lost to a couple of very good fighters and didn't go out easily. Is Diaz the level of Hatton? (we know he's not the level of Cotto). Will he have 2 hands? Diaz isn't that hard to hit so Paulie could do well or could bust his hands up...”
(Trust Me @ EastSideBoxing.com)…
“Could be a much more entertaining fight then most are predicting it to be...I KNEW Hatton would beat Malignaggi b/c Paulie didn't have the power to keep Ricky Off of him, and he could swarm him all day...I think this fight could be a little different, I think baby bull has take More punishment then Hatton did at that time, I actually think Paulie can stick & move for 12 rds and get the UD! I think Diaz's confidence is shot...not to mention he isn't a Big puncher!”
(Frank Z @ TheSweetScience.com)…
“I'm a bit torn on this one, I like both of them, but I'm going to have to lean with Paulie since I got to see his life outside of boxing a bit in a documentary last year. Not much to go on but he'll suffer much more from a loss than Diaz would at this point.”
(Detroit Mex @ MaxBoxing.com)…
“I cannot find the words to describe my disappointment with this matchup. Can someone, anyone, tell me why HBO loves having a boring transvestite on their air constantly? I have an idea, let's put a crowd pleasing fighter in against a running bore in front of a predominantly Mexican crowd in Houston, Texas. They'll love Mango Malignaggi in Houston. Maybe HBO is angling for a big turnout from Houston's gay community. Let's nix Rolando Reyes in favor of Mango, who would actually want to see a fight?”
(Hex-One @ FightBeat.com)…
“I think Malignaggi can take advantage and beat Diaz via UD. Not many fighters can comeback after a KO loss of that magnitude.”
(Rebel @ BoxingFanatics.com)…
“Paulie has surprisingly showed heart in many fights. Diaz will use his swarming style, Paulie has a decent chin, and Diaz had below average power at lightweight. Paulie definitely has a shot. Paulie has been in with much tougher opposition. Paulie may be softened up at this stage but so is Diaz. Diaz took a brutal beating in his last bout. On paper, this may seem like a boring fight, but it’s a bit intriguing because it really is an even fight. Good crossroads match. Personally, I lean towards Diaz because I think he'll come on harder down the stretch. Paulie will do very well in the first half. However, I believe that ultimately Diaz's great stamina and will to win will kick in to eek it out for him down the stretch.”
(Sean Rdmond @ EastSideBoxing.com)…
“Paulie is good creating hype but his lack of power leaves him vulnerable vs. elite fighters... He really rolled over in the Hatton fight, did not give a good account of himself.... Diaz is a tough kid and he had Marquez going before he was drilled, he is not a big hitter but those 5 punch combos wear you down... I see Juan winning in a solid fashion and basically pushing Paulie out of boxing.... Paulie cannot contend having to go 12 rounds every time he gets in the ring... Calderon is one of the few who can do that consistently and he is an all time great pure boxer.. Paulie is not...”
(Ike for Prez @ MaxBoxing.com)…
“I'm a Malignaggi fan for life after that Wii Punch Out commercial.”
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