HOUSTON — Paulie Malignaggi understands he is the visitor venturing into enemy territory to conquer the hometown hero. That’s why the frustration the Brooklyn boxer has had over the circumstances surrounding his fight with Juan Diaz tonight only can be satisfied with a victory.
“There’s always little games that I’m always on the short end of because I don’t have the politics on my side,” Malignaggi said. “But at the end of the day, Juan Diaz is going to wish he had a bigger ring to run away in, because I’m going to be beating him up that badly.”
The size of the ring, the contracted weight and the judges are all concessions Malignaggi made to get the bout against Diaz, which is part of tripleheader to be broadcast on HBO’s “Boxing After Dark” beginning tonight at 9:45 p.m.
Brooklyn middleweight Danny Jacobs will try to remain unbeaten in a bout with Ishe Smith, while the other fight features Malcolm Klassen of South Africa defending his super featherweight title against Robert Guerrero.
Malignaggi, a former 140-pound junior welterweight champion, will face Diaz, a former 135-pound lightweight champion, at 138.5 pounds. The 12-round non-title bout will be fought in an 18-foot ring, which could limit Malignaggi’s speed and mobility.
Malignaggi also isn’t happy that one of the judges is a Texan, Gale Van Hoy, and another, Raul Caiz Sr., is of Mexican decent, like Diaz,
“I’m going to have to knockout him out to win. That’s all there is to it,” said Malignaggi, who is (26-2, five KOs). “But I feel fortunate to get an opportunity like this. I know the opportunity is only coming because they see me as an ‘opponent’ for Diaz.”
Malignaggi, 28, won an eight-round decision over Christopher Fernandez last April, but most remember him performing miserably in losing an 11th-round TKO to Ricky Hatton in November. He since has split with trainer Buddy McGirt and now is being trained by Sherif Younan, hoping to get back to more of a mobile, elusive style.
“I need my mobility,” Malignaggi said. “If I don’t have that asset, I become very hittable and very ordinary. Now it’s about going forward and getting back in my grove and fluidity.”
Diaz (34-2, 17 KOs) is coming off a September loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, when Diaz was stopped in the ninth round at the Toyota Center.
Jacobs, meanwhile, is looking to win his 18th straight fight (15 KOs), against the more experienced Smith (21-3, 9 KOs), whose awkward style should offer a good test. Guerrero (24-1-1, 17 KOs), a former featherweight champ, is looking to win a title in a second division against Klassen (24-4-2, 15 KOs).
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Some seats at $75 and $375 tables that seat five remain available for the Broadway Boxing show Wednesday at BB Kings. Tickets can be purchased by calling DiBella Entertainment at (212) 947-2577. Unbeaten junior welterweight Joelo Torres (10-0-1, 6 KOs) faces David Armstrong (20-11-2, 12 KOs) in the main event.
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The televised undercard has been set for the Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez card on Sept. 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Rocky Juarez of Houston will challenge Chris John of Indonesia for the WBA featherweight championship. The two fought to a draw last February in Houston. Also, former lightweight champ Michael Katsidis of Australia will take on 2004 Olympian Vicente Escobedo of Woodland, Calif., and Brooklyn’s Zab Judah faces veteran Antonio Diaz of Mexico.
“We haven’t seen one of these undercards in quite a while,” promoter Oscar De La Hoya said. “It takes me back to those cards the great Don King used to promote with [Felix] Trinidad on the undercard and have great, great fights. We feel along with Mayweather Promotions this is what boxing has to go back to.”