“Honestly, at first I couldn’t believe it,” Lobov said of a potential Malignaggi fight on a recent episode of BJPENN.com Radio. “I could not believe my luck. I thought I was never gonna get that guy into the ring. I knew he needed money, but I thought he was after proper, big, big pay days, like the Conor fight, which he tried to make happen for many, many years. Let’s be honest, there’s no chance of that fight happening. He’s not on the level of Conor. So I thought this guy was just gonna talk and yap around and never really step into the ring. I thought he was done, but I was wrong. Money talks. and we all need to eat. Paulie’s broke, otherwise he wouldn’t be commentating every week for a couple of hundred bucks.
“So he’s back,” Lobov continued. “He’s back in the ring and trust me, this is not the thing he wants to do. He’s 38 years old. And if some people mention ‘Yeah, look at [Floyd] Mayweather’. Sorry, but Paulie Malignaggi didn’t have the lifestyle of Mayweather. Mayweather is an athlete. He was very protective of his skillset, very protective of his health. He lived a good life and as a result, he aged well. Paulie did not. He’s a fat guy that loved to party that didn’t really train much, that didn’t really do anything. He talks about being whatever pound for pound back in the day, whatever. Look at him now. He’s more like pound for extra pound best of the moment. Big fatso.”
Damn son... Way to build it up. I kinda wanna see Artem smash him.
Yeah, that would be pretty amazing but I don’t see it happening at all. Artem’s path to victor here is smothering Paulie and brawling in the pocket, never letting him get comfortable in a new environment.
I suspect Artem’s ego will think he can compete punch for punch though, and he will sit back at first and feel Paulie out. This will be a mistake - letting Paulie get comfortable and feel out his range will be a recipe for getting pieced up. Paulie won’t gas out either, even if he comes into the fight out of shape, because he won’t be winging shots with all his might.
I expect Paulie will start landing volume that will increase with time, unless Artem can crowd him, keep Paulie out of his comfort zone, and slug it out.
He really is delusional, Paulie was a pro, as much an athelete as any top 10 pound for pound boxer.
Artem is going to find out fast he is in over his head with this one.
On paper this should be the case, but there really does seem to be a significant effect, even on pro fighters who have been fighting for a long time, when they take that first solid shot to the face and the blood starts flowing. It's some messy shit.
But yes, on a pure boxing level, you'd have to imagine that Paulie smokes Artem.
Another consideration is how active Paulie has been since retiring from boxing. The flip side of that is having to consider how damage Artem has been taking in that same span of time.
He really is delusional, Paulie was a pro, as much an athelete as any top 10 pound for pound boxer.
Artem is going to find out fast he is in over his head with this one.
On paper this should be the case, but there really does seem to be a significant effect, even on pro fighters who have been fighting for a long time, when they take that first solid shot to the face and the blood starts flowing. It's some messy shit.
But yes, on a pure boxing level, you'd have to imagine that Paulie smokes Artem.
Another consideration is how active Paulie has been since retiring from boxing. The flip side of that is having to consider how damage Artem has been taking in that same span of time.
There are obviously plenty of grey areas, like you say, but Lobov can't box, he is fucking terrible.
That last bare knuckle fight with Knight should prove that, it was a war and hes tough, even if it was a flyweight grappler hitting him, he took shots, thats about the only positive from that fight.
Paulie will jab the head off him , Lobov will catch him at some point I'm sure, but no where near the amount he caught Knight, a few cuts wont bother Malinaggi.
If this happens, and Paulie is in any kind of shape, he’s going to win via death by a thousand jabs. Artem is tough and willing, but Paulie was world level elite with his hands, and Artem would lose to 16-year-old novice Golden Gloves kids in boxing.
People forget about Paulie’s toughness, he went through hell against Cotto and Hatton and kept going. Paulie don’t tap because his face is broken. Past-his-primePaulie also outboxed Zab Judah and Broner pretty easily.
Bobby Lupo - If this happens, and Paulie is in any kind of shape, he's going to win via death by a thousand jabs. Artem is tough and willing, but Paulie was world level elite with his hands, and Artem would lose to 16-year-old novice Golden Gloves kids in boxing.
People forget about Paulie’s toughness, he went through hell against Cotto and Hatton and kept going. Paulie don’t tap because his face is broken. Past-his-primePaulie also outboxed Zab Judah and Broner pretty easily.
I do ultimately agree that Artem gets hit way too much, and even past-prime boxers still have superior skill sets.
IMO, I think shock and awe are Artem's best strategy. Blitz forward before Paulie has a chance to get his feet under him and find the range. Trying to outbox a boxer is silly. You need to draw them into a fight and outbrawl them.
He really is delusional, Paulie was a pro, as much an athelete as any top 10 pound for pound boxer.
Artem is going to find out fast he is in over his head with this one.
On paper this should be the case, but there really does seem to be a significant effect, even on pro fighters who have been fighting for a long time, when they take that first solid shot to the face and the blood starts flowing. It's some messy shit.
But yes, on a pure boxing level, you'd have to imagine that Paulie smokes Artem.
Another consideration is how active Paulie has been since retiring from boxing. The flip side of that is having to consider how damage Artem has been taking in that same span of time.
There are obviously plenty of grey areas, like you say, but Lobov can't box, he is fucking terrible.
That last bare knuckle fight with Knight should prove that, it was a war and hes tough, even if it was a flyweight grappler hitting him, he took shots, thats about the only positive from that fight.
Paulie will jab the head off him , Lobov will catch him at some point I'm sure, but no where near the amount he caught Knight, a few cuts wont bother Malinaggi.