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HBO Boxing After Dark Recap

June 16, 2007

Mohegan Sun Casino-Uncasville, Connecticut

IBF Junior Welterweight (140 pounds) 12 Round Championship Match:

Lovemore N'dou (45-8-1, 30 KO's, 138.25 pounds) (c) vs. Paul Malignaggi (22-1, 5 KO's, 138 pounds)

This title was most recently held by Ricky Hatton, who vacated it to face Jose Luis Castillo on Saturday in a big money match. (That match is on HBO and a recap of it should be available on this website the next day.) The title was then awarded then to the number one contender N'dou, who Hatton passed up facing in a mandatory title defense.

N'dou is making his first defense of this title.He was born South Africa, in 1971, under the ugliness that was Apartheid. He started out at 16-years-old boxing for his school, then local copper mine, then army, which employed his dad as a mechanic. N'dou won four consecutive South African national amateur boxing championships. With South Africa under a ban on competing in the Olympics, because of Apartheid, until 1992, N'dou was unable to go to the Olympics. After the end of Apartheid, as an accomplished pro, N'dou moved to Australia in 1995. He has been highly successful boxing in Australia, however, the same cannot be said on American soil. He has a losing record in the United States,of 2-5. In fact, all of his last 5 losses have come in the United States. N'dou hasnot lostanywhere else, for the last seven years. He has never been knocked out. His last match was a win in a number one contender's match in Sydney, Australia in February 2007.

The day of this match is very important to a politically active N'dou and South Africans in general. June 16 is remembered as Youth Day, because on June 16, 1976 during a peaceful protest by unarmed black school childrenagainst a policy designed to further entrench them as second class citizens, white police and army officers opened fire on the group. Themassacre left over 500 people dead, almost all children and thousands more children wounded by gunshots. N'dou was 4-years-old when that happened, and today continues to support poor black families in South Africa who have yet to overcome the more then five decades of Apartheid and many more of unofficial racial oppression.

Leaving South Africa for Australia, has allowed N'dou to become a full time college student, double majoring in media and law. He has his own film company, and it recently had two films on boxing aired on Australian television.

Malignaggi, a native of Brooklyn, spent several years ofearly childhood growing up in Sicily to the point hedid not knowEnglish when returning to the United States. Hewill be the local favorite in this match. Malignaggi has a history of right hand injuries, with two occurring during matches. The first in 2002 saw him tear ligaments in the hand, and the second injury happened in a December 2003, match in Madison Square Garden. He has had 3 surgeries on that hand. The Brooklyn boxeris working with trainer Buddy McGirt for the second time in this match, a change made aftera loss toCotto. Malignaggi has yet to beat a ranked contender and is getting this match based on his name value and his solid performance in a loss to Cotto. Malignaggilast match wasa unanimous decision victory overEdner Cherry, thisFebruary in the Hammerstein Ballroom.

N'dou and Malignaggi have a common opponent inCotto. They both lost to him via unanimous decision. N'dou lost to Cotto in May 2004. The match with Cotto is Malignaggi's only loss. It camein Madison Square Garden, during Cotto'sannual stop there,the weekend of New York City's Puerto Rican Day Parade. N'dou at 35-years-old is9 years the senior of the 26-year-old Malignaggi.Both boxersare both 5' 7" tall. N'dou has a 1.5" reach advantage of 24.5" long, compared to 23" long measured from the armpit to the end of the fist.The IBF has a smart rule, that boxers must weigh in no more then 10 pounds over the weight they did at the official weigh-in. At their secondweigh-ins in the morning, Malignaggi had gained the maximum 10 pounds up to 148 pounds. N'douhadgained less then 8 pounds, up to 146 pounds. According to the HBO scales, since the morning weigh-in Malignaggi has added another 1.5 pounds, to weigh 149.5. N'dou has lost 2 pounds since the morning, and will weigh 144 pounds when he steps into the ring. Both boxersemploy the orthodox stance.

The same unified rules are in effect as in the previous match. The judges are from New York, Connecticut, and Florida. Ledermanwill, againbe keeping score for HBO.

In thematch of boxers withinteresting hair, Malignaggi takes round 1, 10-9. Lederman has round 1 scored the same. Malignaggi's dyed blonde Mohawk and effective left jab take round 2, 10-9. Lederman gives round 2 to Malignaggi, 10-9.The Brooklynboxer wins round 3, 10-9. Through 3 rounds Malignaggi is leading on my scorecard, 30-27. Lederman has it exactly the same for round3 andthe sametotal score, through 3 rounds.

Best round of the match for N'dou, and best round of the night. Malignaggi, still wins round 4, 10-9. In round 4, N'dou landed 12 punches and Malignaggi landed 38 punches. Lederman scored round 4 for Malignaggi, 10-9. With 2:44 to go in round 5, N'dou receives a warning from the referee for hitting behind the head. With 30 seconds to go in round 5, there is a slight cut above Malignaggi'sleft eye. There was a lot of clinch work in round 5, meaning the cut is probably from a clash of heads. Malignaggi wins round 5, 10-9. Lederman also, scores round 5 for Malignaggi, 10-9. Malignaggi is appearing to tire in round 6, and his lead left hand is dropping. With 1:47 to go in round 6, the referee stops the action to deduct a point from N'dou for hitting behind the head. The punch that drew the deduction wasmore of a slap,and the deduction seemsvery weak. A lot worse happens all the time, and is let go. The commentators on HBO unanimously agree, that was a bad point deduction. There were insufficient warnings for "rabbit punching" and it was a bad call. With the point deduction Malignaggi wins round 6, 10-8. Through 6 rounds,Malignaggi is ahead on my scorecard, 60-53. At this point Malignaggi has out landed N'dou, 171 punches to 80 punches. Malignaggi has a 42% connect percentage, through 6 rounds. Lederman scored round 6 for Malignaggi, 10-8, and has the Brooklyn native ahead onhis (Lederman's)scorecard, 60-53.

In round 7, N'dou changes to the southpaw stance. N'dou is using a veteran trick at times, of stepping on Malignaggi's lead foot, which the referee cannot see, to make his opponent an easier target. Malignaggi's long estranged father, a former professional soccer player,made the trip from Sicily to watch his son in this match, but has already left the arena. He cannot handle watching his son compete in this sport. Malignaggi's mother has also, never seen her son compete. Malignaggi wins round 7, 10-9. N'dou was a very good soccer player as a youth and has excellent foot work to land correctly on Malignaggi's front foot and potentially score a knockdown, when Malignaggi tries to backup from a punch. Lederman scored round 7 for Malignaggi, 10-9. Through the first 7 rounds, Malignaggi is throwing on average 42 jabs per round, the average for this weight class is 20 jabs per round. Malignaggi wins round 8, 10-9. With 1:40 to go in round 9, aright hand from Malignaggi that N'dou never saw, sendsthe championbackwards to the canvas. N'dou gets up quickly, shaking his head, andeasily answers the referee's count. Action is resumed, with 1:27 to go in round 9. It was a flash knockdown and N'dou appears mostly unhurt from the punch. Malignaggi wins round 9, 10-8. Lederman scores round 9 for Malignaggi, 10-8. Through 9 rounds Lederman and I have it scored for Malignaggi, 90-79.

Round 10 is closer, but still probably goes the way of Malignaggi. Malignaggi wins round 10, 10-9. The challenger is putting on a boxing clinic in this match. Lederman gave round 10 to Malignaggi, 10-9. This is N'dou's seventh time going past 10 rounds, but only the second time for Malignaggi. With 1:04 to go in round 11, the referee strongly warns N'dou for a phantom punch behind the head. If N'dou throws another phantom punch behind Malignaggi's head, the champion will be docked the most meaningless point in boxing history. This referee is frequently breaking the boxers when action is still continuing on the inside, for no apparent reason. In short,this refereeis terrible. Malignaggi wins round 11, 10-9. Lederman scored round 11 for Malignaggi, 10-9. Malignaggi is starting to bleed from above his left eye, again in round 11. It is noteffecting the challengers vision. To complete the sweep, Malignaggi wins round 12, 10-9. My final scorecard has Malignaggi winning, 120-106. When the final bell sounds, Malignaggi falls to his knees and his corner rushes in the ring and tackles him. Lederman, scored round 12 for Malignaggi, 10-9 and has Malignaggi winning, 120-106

The official decision is that the judges score the match: 120-106, 120-106, 118-108, all for the winner, by unanimous decision and new IBF Junior Welterweight Champion of the World, Paulie "The Magic Man" Malignaggi. The win moves Malignaggi to 23-1, with 5 of those victories coming by way of knockout.

It isimpressive that Malignaggi did not run out of gas punching and moving at such a fast pace. He also, used his previously injured right hand without any second thoughts. Those two things show he could be ready for some big matches down the line. The final CompuBox numbers, have N'dou landing 161 of the 664 punches he threw, which was good for a 24% connect percentage. Malignaggi landed 352 of the 803 punches he threw, for a 44% connect percentage. The jab statistics have N'dou landing 65 of 278 jabs thrown, for a 23% connect percentage. Malignaggiin the endaveraged throwing more then 40 jabs per round. He landed 193 jabs and threw 486, for a 40% connect percentage.

After the match, Malignaggi calls out Hatton. He says that Hatton bypassed a tougher opponent in N'dou to face a past his prime Jose Luis Castillo. Malignaggi says Castillo is still a good boxer, but not as good as N'dou.

The main event is a great display of boxing.