Come and get the world title Ricky!

Come and get the world title Ricky! – Malignaggi

Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor

‘Magic Man’ says he is the only fight for the ‘Hitman’

WBA welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi remains hopeful that he can entice former opponent Ricky Hatton into a comeback fight and believes that he may even be the reason that the rumours started about a return to the sport for the Manchester fighter.

The 31 year-old dethroned Vyacheslav Senchenko last spring to become a two-weight world title holder and the American is of the opinion that Hatton may have begun preparations to return to the sport on the back of watching his victory in Ukraine.

“There are rumours he’s been training for the last few months and I don’t think it is coincidence that (it happened when) I won the world title a few months ago,” Malignaggi told BBC Radio Five Live.

“In a way, and I don’t know if it’s a fact, its’ just my opinion; I like to think that he watched me win a world title and said; ‘You know what, I beat this guy so easily last time. I am going to go back and win a world title.

“And I am dangling a carrot in front of him. Come and get it Ricky.

“I don’t think there is a fight that makes more sense (for Hatton) than a Paulie Malignaggi fight.

“I would love to give him a rude awakening and I say that respectfully, because of all the losses I have in my career, the Ricky Hatton one was the most painful. It still haunts me to this day.”

Hatton, 33, is rumoured to be shedding the pounds of late, leading to fierce speculation that he will announce a 48th professional fight in the near future and Malignaggi hopes to first in line, if and when he does.

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