Trainer Eric Brown on Paulie Malignaggi’s Future

Eric Brown trains Paul Malignaggi, the analyst/fighter…or is it fighter/analyst…who lost his last outing, against Shawn Porter, and absorbed a bunch of punishment to the head, which left him with head aches.

I chatted with Brown at Gleason’s Gym, in Brooklyn, as he oversaw his guy Hugo Centeno, who fights James De La Rosa Saturday night, at Barclays. We chatted about what middleweight Centeno needs to do to win, but before that, I asked Brown about Paulie’s future. Think he will fight again? Think he should fight again? “Paulie hasn’t signed off on anything yet,” he told me. “It’s on him. He’s still got a lot of fight in him. He still loves it…but he doesn’t need it.”

Brown to me seemed fine from the prospect of the 34-year-old Paulie (33-6) fighting from a health perspective, and you have to respect, massively, his input. Another fight would have to be the right fit, from a style perspective and the stakes, he thinks, would have to be at a level worthy of Paulie’s legacy.

Me, I’m guessing Paulie gloves up again, because his pride is maybe his greatest asset as a pugilist. He can’t begin to accept going out with an L, that April TKO4 loss, as the last thing on his ledger. He said he will get through the holidays before making a decision, or announcing it.

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