Malignaggi: Broner's talk is 'music to my ears'

WBA welterweight titleholder Paulie Malignaggi called recent comments by rising WBC lightweight beltholder Adrien "The Problem" Broner "music to my ears" in advance of their proposed June 22 clash at Barclays Center on HBO in Malignaggi's native Brooklyn.

On Friday, Broner (26-0, 22 knockouts) contacted RingTV.com to deny Malignaggi's implication that he was balking at taking the bout.

"I ain't saying s__t. I ain't saying s__t. F__k Paulie. F__k everybody that thinks Paulie's got a chance. F__k everybody. It's on the floor, like a floor tile. I'm f__king him up, and that's that. I'm putting it out there just like that," said Broner, a 23-year-old who will be after his seventh straight stoppage victory.

"Paulie had better come into the ring with two A-K's, a nine, and a 40, because if he don't, I don't see him having a chance. Everybody has a boxer's chance, but I'm A.B., man. I'm about business and I'm always ballin'. Can't be me, you feel me? And I ain't broke. With that being said, I'm getting to this money."

A former IBF junior welterweight titleholder, Malignaggi (32-4, 7 KOs) responded swiiftly.

"That's music to my ears. If he thinks that I'm upset about what he said, then he's wrong. He has actually put a smile on my face, so now, I'm hyped. Now he's put himself in a position where he has to do the deal, and he has to fight. I'm so excited that I can hardly talk right now because I wasn't sure that he was actually going to take the fight," said Malignaggi, 32, a winner of five straight fights at 147 pounds.

"But now the way that he's talking, if he think that he's p---ed me off, all he's done with this talking like that, he has just put himself into the position where he has to fight. If he's 'A.B.,' and he's 'always business,' then stop being 'A.B.' the 'always bitching.' So stop bitching and sign the contract. He's always bitching about something, so shut the f--k up and sign the contract, if you're so sure about everything. I'll respond that way. It's on. Let's do it. Now, I'm hyped."

Although Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer has said Broner-Malignaggi will happen on HBO, a network spokesperson would not comment when asked about the potential conflict for the June 22 date between Broner-Malignaggi and the return of former WBC middleweight beltholder Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Chavez's promoter, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, had indicated that the date belonged to Chavez Jr. for a bout to happen in Texas. Arum, however, amended his statement late Thursday evening, telling RingTV.com that Chavez would return "on June 22 or 29; wherever HBO wants to put us."

Asked if the fight was taking place on HBO, Broner said, "Of course," adding, "I'm Mr. HBO, man. You know what network I'm fighting on."

Photo by Naoki Fukuda

 Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com