By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA

(©2009 Journal Group Link International)

C HICAGO, Illinois (JGLi) – Manny Pacquiao is going to face the toughest fight of his career.

Paul “The Magic” Malignaggi, former Junior Welterweight World champion, told the Journal Group Link International in an exclusive interview that he believes Puerto Rico’s champion Miguel Cotto is going to prevail over Filipino pound-for-pound world champion Manny Pacquiao when Mr. Cotto lays his WBO welterweight belt on the line on Nov. 14 at the megabuck fight dubbed “Firepower” at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

But Mr. Malignaggi believes that it does not mean that Pacquiao can’t beat Mr. Cotto.

Malignaggi, who will turn 29 on Nov. 23, is in a unique perspective to make the prediction because he both faced and lost to the two fighters that Mr. Pacquiao faced and about to face – British champion Ricky Hatton and Mr. Cotto.

Paul Malignaggi, the No. 3-ranked challenger in the Junior Welterweight for the IBF (International Boxing Federation), was interviewed by this reporter during a press conference held Tuesday (Nov. 10) at Mike Ditka’s Restaurant in downtown Chicago, Illinois, to announce his rematch with former three-time Lightweight World Champion Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz for a 12-round non-title junior welterweight bout on Dec. 12 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago and beamed live over HBO.

The rematch is co-promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, DiBella Entertainment and 8 Count Productions.

Malignaggi, a former U.S. amateur champion, who has never been knocked down and never been hit before he faced Cotto on June 10, 2006 before his home crowd at the Madison Square Garden in New York, was knocked down in the second round by Mr. Cotto after he was head-butted by Cotto in the opening round that opened a wide cut below his eye.

He would be knocked down again in the eighth but he stayed the distance and lost to Cotto in a 12-round unanimous decision, his first loss in his professional career.

When he faced Hatton on Nov. 22, 2008, also at MGM Grand Garden Arena, Mr. Malignaggi’s corner threw in the towel after 48 seconds of the 11th round as he gave up hopes of winning many rounds earlier.

“I was a better fighter when I fought Cotto than when I fought Hatton,” Malignaggi recalled. “Cotto is a much-better fighter than Hatton. You don’t compare Ricky with Cotto. They are worlds apart. Cotto is a stronger, better fighter, and more disciplined than Ricky.”

Malignaggi says: “I predict a Cotto win but I’m not saying that Manny can’t win the fight. Each boxer can knock each other down."

 M alignaggi, a Brooklyn, New York, native, said this upcoming fight on Saturday (Nov. 14) “will be very tough fight for Manny. Manny will find this out in the first minute of the fight. Manny should be very consistent at what he does for 12 rounds if he wants to win.”

The Italian American said, “Cotto is very good in making you fight if you don’t what to fight. You will fight at his own pace.

“It’s up to Manny to execute his game plan no matter what. Ultimately, this would be the toughest fight for Manny. For Manny to win, he has to be very disciplined and very sharp. If he wins this fight, Manny will be the best fighter ever.”

Malignaggi said, “Hatton was not even close to me. “ He added, when he fought Ricky, he has “many problems, many qualms.”

“I predict a Cotto win,” Malignaggi said, “but I’m not saying that Manny can’t win the fight. Each boxer can knock each other down."

Malignaggi, who runs a professional record of 26-3, 5 KO’s, told the press conference that in his upcoming rematch with Juan Diaz (35-2-, 17 KOs), he is dedicating his fight to Dewey Bozella, a man released recently after 26 years behind bar for the 1977 murder of a 92-year-old woman he did not commit.

A retired police officer from Poughkeepsie, New York police, pulled out a file with “numerous pieces of evidence favorable to (the now 50-year-old) Bozella that had not been turned over to his lawyers.”

Malignaggi predicted “a very comfortable lead over Diaz” when they settle their grudge match on Dec. 12 at UIC Pavilion to avenge his controversial loss to the former unified lightweight champion Diaz in Diaz’s hometown of Houston, Texas, last August 22.

For his part, Diaz, who just finished his pre-law program at the University of Houston, said after coming from a knockout ninth-round loss to three-time world champion Juan Manuel Marquez, I will be up against a King Kong, who doesn’t want to loss. The whole world will feel my hunger on Dec. 12.” (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net) # # #

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