Malignaggi learns to put fists to good use

Paulie Malignaggi was not always rich, successful and on the verge of being famous.

Far from it. As a troubled teen, Malignaggi was getting into fights in his Brooklyn neighborhood of Bensonhurst -- and getting kicked out of high school. He was on his way to being a first-class punk.

So Malignaggi had two options. He could continue on a path to prison or the morgue. Or he could refine his pugilistic skills, channel his hostility in a positive way and learn to make a living beating people up.

He chose the latter, which has turned out to be a wise move. Malignaggi, who turns 28 Sunday, will make $1 million for stepping into the ring against junior welterweight Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand Garden on Saturday. Should Malignaggi beat the Brit in the 12-round bout, bigger paydays are in his future.

"This is a crossroads fight for me, no question," Malignaggi said. "I've waited for this fight my whole life."

He actually has had one big moment in the spotlight. That came when he fought Miguel Cotto in 2006 in New York. Malignaggi lost a 12-round unanimous decision, the only blemish on his 25-1 record.

He also has been a world champion, having won the IBF junior welterweight title in 2007 by beating Lovemore N'dou. Malignaggi made two successful defenses, including a split-decision victory in a rematch with N'dou on May 24 in Manchester, England. But he was stripped of his belt in July when he agreed to fight Hatton.

Malignaggi said he has been satisfied with his preparation to face the hard-hitting Hatton. A broken right hand from his rematch with N'dou has healed, and he said getting away from the East Coast to train in Las Vegas the last seven weeks was the best move he could have made.

"I had a great camp," Malignaggi said. "We had great sparring which we couldn't really get back home the last couple of camps. There were no distractions at all. I don't know that I would change a single thing."

Long ago, Malignaggi made the biggest change of all. He was 16 when his grandfather first laced a pair of boxing gloves on his hands. Malignaggi began working out at the famous Gleason Gym in Brooklyn. That led to his winning the New York Golden Gloves at age 19.

Malignaggi's seven-year pro career has been carefully crafted. He was 21-0 when he fought Cotto, and he has rebounded with four straight wins. Now he has a chance to climb to new heights, but he already has validated his decision to leave the streets for the gym 11 years ago. When he walks around Bensonhurst these days, he's revered, not reviled.

"I've shown people I can be a success at something," Malignaggi said. "A lot of people didn't think I'd amount to anything."

And had he not gone into boxing?

"Maybe I would have been a porn star," he said.

• NOTES -- Today's weigh-in is at 2:30 p.m. inside the Grand Garden. Admission is free. ... The fight will be shown on HBO and will not be blacked out in Clark County. ... Hatton remains a minus-260 favorite, with the take-back on Malignaggi at plus-220.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@ reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.