Saturday, May 4, an unforgettable day for boxing, kicked off with a Las Vegas press conference to officially announce the June 22 world championship showdown between two of the most colorful characters in the sport, WBA Welterweight World Champion Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi and Two-Division World Champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York which will be televised live on Showtime.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI, WBA Welterweight World Champion
“[To Broner] Now you’re fighting a real fighter. Real fighters punch back.
“He’s coming up to a real weight class against a real man. He’s going to get hit a lot too.
“[To Broner] Guys like you, they’re a dime a dozen.
“I am fortunate to get these kinds of opportunities and usually I’m able to upset the apple cart.
“Adrien is nothing more than a Floyd Mayweather wannabe. He doesn’t just fight like him. He talks like him. He breathes like him. He needs to get his own character.
“He doesn’t have his own personality. It’s a big insecurity.
“I didn’t get my titles handed to me. I had to earn them.
“What happens to Broner when it isn’t easy? He’s never been put in that situation before.
“I thought this was the easiest fight they offered me. They’re giving me this ex-junior lightweight. It was a no brainer.
“He has good speed and good timing, but his power is overrated. A lot of what he does is overrated.”
ADRIEN BRONER, Two-Division World Champion
“[On his June 22 fight] Everyone is saying ‘He’s going up in weight. Is he going to be strong enough and fast enough to take on a world class world champion?’ I know Paulie is going to come out to fight like he always does, but this will be his fourth loss to a world champion. He just keeps getting whooped by champions.
“I take him seriously, but he’s a clown. He’s going to come out with big feet, dyed hair and a crazy outfit, but I’m going to punch him until his nose is red enough to complete out the outfit.
“I moved up for the opportunity to be a 23-year-old three-time world champion in three different weight classes.
“I call him a one handed bandit. He’s never thrown a right hand ever.
“On June 22, he’s going to wish there’s another corner he can run to.
“It’s going to be a hell of a night.
“He’s telling me to be more creative. I don’t have to be more creative. I’m just going to mess him up.
“He isn’t getting on my nerves. This is boxing.
“All of the good fights at 140 were already matched up.
“He feels like I’m just a 135-pound fighter, but he’s not on my level.
“It is going to be the ‘AB Show.’
“He can really box. I’m not taking him lightly. No one just handed him that belt.
“It’s going to be a hell of an event. Paulie is going to bring his following. I’m going to bring mine. He’s from Brooklyn; it’s going to be a packed house.”
“You guys will be surprised when you see me fight at 147.”
RICHARD SCHAEFER, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions
“These two are not only two of the most exciting fighters in the sport, they are also two of the biggest talkers.
“This is champion against champion.
“Tickets are on sale and there has already been a tremendous demand at the box office. This is a way to take these [big] fights into this major market [New York City] and make them affordable for the people.”
