Paulie got hair extensions? Why? To mess with N’dou?

Wasn’t their first meeting a very boring 12 round match? or was that the last Paulie fight?

Luchador mask this time.

Pretty funny. “Bottom line don’t get hair extension you’ll get boos.” haha

I just don’t see this going any different than the first time around, but N’dou can fight and he might be able to make some adjustments this time.

Wally Matthews says it’s a cold night in Manchester.

N’dou gets a quick jab in there, and Paulie comes back with several of his own. N’dou with a right, Paulie misses a counter. The hair extensions fall out of the ponytail already, and I think that might be the stupidest idea Paulie’s had yet.

N’dou with a hard right hand. Paulie’s really struggling with the hair in his face, but he lets the fists go. N’dou blocks most of it. Malignaggi comes in with a left and they tie up. Quick combo from Malignaggi, but N’dou backs him off with a left counter, which doesn’t land but does stop him coming in.

N’dou 10-9

Those hair extensions were a bad idea. There is (1) no point and (2) no good that comes of them.

They’ve reinforced his ponytail. Seriously.

Malignaggi pumping the jab, not landing it though. There’s one that catches Lovemore on the chin.

Lots of circling and pawing from Paulie this round. Left hand from N’dou, and N’dou just looks a lot more calm and controlled tonight than he did the first time around. Maybe he’s just more comfortable on what is a home field of sorts for him. Maybe it’s just that he’s seen Malignaggi once already.

Right and a left from N’dou, and Paulie tries to come back with a flurry, but none of it gets through. N’dou is winning this fight right now.

N’dou 10-9
N’dou 20-18

This is looking a lot like the Ngoudjo fight in January to me. Paulie doesn’t look BAD, but N’dou is willing to take shots from him and try to land better, cleaner shots, since it’s hard to land more than Malignaggi.

Nice counter hook from Malignaggi. Now he’s starting to put some combos together, using his speed, looking more like the Paulie we know. Malignaggi popped and his hand touches the canvas, and Mickey Vann missed that one. That probably should’ve been scored a knockdown.

Paulie continues to control the pace, popping his jab out there and occasionally landing some nice flurries. Good round for Malignaggi, even with the one shot from N’dou that hurt him a little.

Malignaggi 10-9
N’dou 29-28

N’dou is failing to fight the style he’s talked so much about being robbed of last year in the States. What is the style he wants to fight? Headlocks and suplexes? Because Mickey Vann is warning him for all the inside tangling, too. His claims have always been dumb, but now we’re seeing he’s just not fast enough. You know—again. We saw it last time, too.

N’dou is already starting to lose whatever little grasp he had on the fight. He’s tangling and locking Paulie up, and then it gets broken, and we go back to Malignaggi landing a few shots when he needs to. Doing his thing.

N’dou with an overhand right, partially blocked, and Paulie goes back to controlling with combinations. I wonder what N’dou’s excuse will be this time? This is turning into the last fight.

Malignaggi 10-9
38-38

I don’t know about you, but I smell a KO coming up?

Paulie comes out strong with nice shots, a jab and a snapping right hand. He’s showing his hand speed and real offensive ability now. He’s got N’dou backing up, and going to the ropes, where Paulie can unload and duck out of N’dou’s slow counters.

N’dou nails him and sends him back some, but Paulie hangs on. Malignaggi has the ring sense and savvy of a much older fighter. Paulie will act the fool a lot of the time, but the key word there is “act.” He’s a very intelligent boxer.

Great round for Paulie. Lovemore is catching him now and again with decent shots, but Paulie’s chin is too good to be caught that way.

Malignaggi 10-9
Malignaggi 48-47

N’dou with some good stuff in the first minute of the round. N’dou warned for pulling the head down. About a minute left in the round, which has been fairly even.

N’dou is gunshy, as Wally Matthews notes. He’s stalking but not punching his way in. There is a small cut by Paulie’s left eye that is starting to show up a little bit. Tough round to score, but I give it to Paulie by a hair. Or by a ponytail. A fake ponytail.

Malignaggi 10-9
Malignaggi 58-56

Right hand by N’dou, and a good one. I don’t know why both guys have failed to go to the body. Paulie is a jabber and a headhunter, but you’d think N’dou, the slower fighter, would want to take Paulie’s legs from him. Paulie with a hook, and there’s a big lead right from N’dou moments later. That one hurt him. Paulie hangs on, but he’s on shakier legs now.

Great punch by N’dou, and that wins him what was a close round.

N’dou 10-9
Malignaggi 67-66

Is there point decution for that? hahahaa

There appears to be a slight cut on the bridge of Malignaggi’s nose now, too.

And there goes the stupid hair getting in his face again. Wait, they’re giving Paulie a timeout to tape his hair into a better ponytail? Come on. That’s a little bit much for me. If the shit’s in his face that’s his own problem.

Paulie walks into another punch after the stupid timeout, and now they twirl with one another. Paulie is lapsing again, just like he did in the Ngoudjo fight. N’dou is landing much better shots than Paulie and is actually landing more than Malignaggi now. He’s lost the range, abandoned that constant jabbing, and is starting to lose momentum. N’dou has changed his angle coming in and is discouraging Paulie.

Whacked with a left hook this time. Paulie’s idiotic hair is hindering him. Seriously. And the Ricky Hatton chants have started up now.

If Paulie loses this fight thanks to his hair extensions, he’ll never live it down. What a stupid, stupid thing to do.

N’dou 10-9
76-76

They cut his stupid ass extensions off. It’s about time.

Paulie lunges really slowly and looks awful doing it. This atmosphere seems to have gotten to him. He doesn’t look that comfortable. Wally has Paulie up by two points, but I think those extra two rounds I gave N’dou could have very easily gone to him on official cards. This is not a Paulie fight so far by any means. And this is the second straight fight that he doesn’t seem like himself. Is making 140 a problem for him these days?

Lead right from N’dou again, doesn’t land flush. Another tough round to score, and I think N’dou took it. Paulie is just not doing anything anymore. He doesn’t look good defensively, and he looks awful offensively.

N’dou 10-9
N’dou 86-85

N’dou is chasing Malignaggi down, and Paulie at this point has turned into a mild runner. He’s not engaging, he’s not landing jabs like he needs to to win, and he’s just not doing anything. N’dou is just trying to land the right hands.

Not a lot going on to actually call—it’s a story more than it is a fight right now. N’dou has taken the momentum, and I just have no idea what Malignaggi is doing out there. That said, I think Paulie eked out this round since N’dou did nothing as well.

Malignaggi 10-9
95-95

Not a great fight, but a very close one.

Both guys are being warned now.

Both guys are holding a ton. Paulie with a couple sneaky shots. Both of them are just wrestling. N’dou and Malignaggi are both throwing while in very tight against the ropes.

Wild left hook from N’dou gets mostly blocked, then they tie up again. Paulie with a nice combo, and a flurry in the middle of the ring. This is N’dou’s worst round in the second half of the fight. Paulie let the leather fly a little bit and activity wins him the round easily.

Malignaggi 10-9
Malignaggi 105-104

They’re speculating that Paulie might have hurt his hand again. It’s very possible.

Big right hand from N’dou! Malignaggi is mauling N’dou, which is decidedly not what one would expect between these two. Lots of hugging against the ropes, close quarters fighting, and it takes away N’dou’s long right hand, which has been his only real weapon.

I’ll tell you, I don’t know how Hatton will look in a bit here, but Paulie his last two fights does not look like a guy that could beat Hatton or even come close to it. Ricky is too aggressive for this. I think Paulie barely wins this round and the fight. He was able to passive-aggressively neutralize N’dou this round.

Paulie does appear to have hurt his right hand again. He’s trying to indicate that.

I think he might have comfortably won this fight without the hair extensions.

Malignaggi 10-9
Malignaggi 115-113

Both commentators also had it 115-113 for Malignaggi. We’ll see.

115-114 for N’dou
116-112 for Malignaggi
116-113 for Malignaggi

PAULIE MALIGNAGGI VIA SPLIT DECISION

Not at all the performance he wanted, but Lou DiBella is saying he broke his right hand in round six. His career is going to end a lot sooner than it should.

On the hair: “Never again. That was definitely an F and L—first and last.”

He says he thinks the hand is broken, hopes it’s not, but if anyone knows what a broken hand feels like, it’s Paulie Malignaggi.

But how is he going to go up against Hatton with that broken hand situation.

I WILL BEAT FLOYD. I WILL GET HIM.

Who is he trying to convince?

Definitely very special.

He’s got the fat suit on.

What kind of National Anthem is that?

Yes, the IBO title. At least Buffer paid lip service to the Ring title.

Let’s see what Ricky got his hands into

52 degrees out there. Damn.

Lazcano with lazy jabs, and Hatton is coming to him. Lazcano looks really slow. And a little soft.

Body shots from Ricky. Hatton with more body shots. Stiff jab knocks Lazcano back. Hatton walks into one, and then another shot lands, that one to the body. Lazcano might need a couple rounds to really get his feet wet. Hatton’s nose is bleeding already, and now they’re cleaning lint off of Hatton’s gloves or something? What the hell is that?

Lazcano wants to use the jab, but neither guy looks too sharp in the first round. Tied up and Lazcano gets some pot shots in. Happens again. Rather sloppy, slow first round out of both guys, and tough to score.

Hatton 10-9

The Ref cleaning the gloves. I’m surpised he didn’t tell him to blow his nose for Daddy.

There’s the left hook to the body from Hatton, but he’s walking into shots, too. Vicious right to the body from Hatton. Pot shot from Hatton, a right to the head. Lots of wrestling and clinching, and they’re being talked to by the referee about it.

Hatton is getting hit plenty, but he’s doing damage that will build up, as he always does. Ricky with a nice left to the mush, and there’s a right hand to the body. Ugly fight so far.

Hatton 10-9
Hatton 20-18

Hatton slips just after the bell and then they tango a moment after. Hatton throwing big shots and missing. Lazcano is using the clinch well, actually punching at Hatton while they’re in there.

Stiff left from Hatton, but he’s missing a ton of shots. Lazcano DRILLS Hatton with a good shot. This is not the best Juan Lazcano, but man, I still like this guy. He flat out knows how to fight.

Ricky gets warned for hitting behind the head. Hatton runs into a jab. They’re tied up again, with Hatton holding the arm, which is his real trademark, and they tangle like that for a while. Lazcano digs in with some work on the inside, and he’s really peppering him now. He’s taking the fight to Hatton, not backing down at all. Good round from Juan.

Lazcano 10-9
Hatton 29-28

Hatton walks right into a left and is still trying to throw big shots, scoring very occasionally. Lazcano is knocking Hatton around pretty effectively.

Hatton hurts him with a good shot, and there’s about 1:15 left in the round. Hatton is nailing him, and then he gets caught with another good shot. Lazcano is warned for something or other that Hatton does all fight, every fight.

Momentum is going to be a real factor, much as it was last fight. I think Ricky will eventually wake up some more and turn on the gas, but right now he’s being fought tooth-and-nail by a solid pro.

Lazcano 10-9
38-38

Here comes Ricky Hatton, looking like the Hatton of old, stalking and throwing punches in bunches. He’s come out very aggressively in the fifth round.

Right to the body from Hatton, and a blocked shot upstairs follows. Lazcano hit again. Hatton looks good this round. Lazcano hits him again! Ricky is just walking into stuff like that. BIG shots from Ricky, and Lazcano lands a stiff uppercut. This is really turning into a pretty damn good fight. Juan Lazcano is still tougher than all get out, and Ricky is getting his training camp’s worth against Lazcano.

Hatton 10-9
Hatton 48-47

Hatton with more effective flurrying, but Lazcano is staying right up there with him. Lazcano is being hurt and I think eventually he’s going to go down, but he’s done a hell of a job for being out of the ring 15 months. Commentary talks about a Hatton shutout—really? Seriously? Lazcano at least won the third round.

Trade at mid-ring, and Lazcano gets hit, and nails Hatton back as well. Uppercut lands. Hatton’s done a really good job this fight with the right hand to the body rather than the left. Somewhat surprising. Another round for Ricky.

Hatton 10-9
Hatton 58-56

Really stiff jab from Hatton, and some shots to the body. Hatton hurts Lazcano again, a right hand followed with a left hook to the head. Lazcano got an uppercut in for his trouble at least.

This fight has been pretty good, but it’s certainly not making me ever want to see Hatton-Floyd again. Floyd would make mincemeat of Hatton again. Or blood pudding, if you will.

Clubbing right hand from Hatton, and he’s taken the fight over. Lazcano just doesn’t have the hands or the legs to fight this guy. There’s another Lazcano flurry, though. He’s not got much on the shots, but he’s throwing. Lazcano tagged with another right hand shot to the head.

Hatton 10-9
Hatton 68-65

Hatton with big shots, upstairs and to the body. That’s the basic Ricky Hatton charge. Couple of lead rights for Hatton. Ricky is beating Juan to the punch, showing a good pace, and doing his job. Ricky Hatton is an overachieving fighter. People that expect something sensational out of Ricky expect too much. I’ll talk more about that should he win. Or lose.

Anyway, Wally Matthews points out that Hatton is basically instructing the referee when to break clinches with head movements and eyes. Hatton walks into good shots. Ricky is getting hurt? Hatton is HURT. He’s getting wailed on! Now he headlocks Lazcano. Typical Hatton.

Hatton fires back after the clinch is broken. Boy, Juan had him hurt. That clinch was really well-timed by Hatton. Left hook from Lazcano. This is a rough and tumble bout, and I love this kind of boxing. Hatton charges him at the end of the eighth.

Lazcano 10-9—great round
Hatton 77-75

Lazcano catches Hatton again. These guys are getting hit to hit the other man. I’m really enjoying this fight. Rough, close quarters boxing, and both guys getting beaten up. These are two tough hombres.

Hatton with some more good shots. I don’t know what “problems” they’re talking about Hatton having with Juan Urango. He dominated that fight.

Hatton with rights and lefts, and Lazcano is hurt and against the ropes. They clinch up again. Both guys are showing facial swelling—this is a rock ‘em sock ‘em bout.

Hatton wildly misses a haymaker left hook, but backs Lazcano up and hurts him again against the ropes. Lazcano misses a couple of long rights. This is good stuff. Can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing on a Saturday afternoon.

Hatton 10-9
Hatton 87-84

Lazcano has a cut, referee rules it was on a punch. Hatton’s looking good, but there’s a big lead right from Lazcano. He lands it again. Ricky is taking some offensive risks at the expense of defense, and he’s eaten more shots than he needs to.

Both guys looking tired, and Hatton catches Lazcano with a right, and LAZCANO DRILLS HIM! A left hook stuns him, another one has him holding on! Ricky is getting beaten up. Oh what the fuck is this - they stop the fight, and now stop it AGAIN, sending them to neutral corners, with Hatton hurt, and they’ve stopped the fight to tie Hatton’s shoelace. Terrible timing for Lazcano, and Nick and Wally take issue with it. Hatton gets a breather - and a break. I absolutely hate what just happened there. Ricky was hurt again. Juan Lazcano had a chance.

Hatton looks like shit physically right now. I love Ricky, I really do. I like this fight, it’s been very entertaining, but Ricky does not look good as far as stamina goes. I thought Lazcano looked soft coming in, but he’s looking fresher.

Lazcano 10-9
Hatton 96-94

Hatton with a short left hook. BIG straight right hand from Hatton, almost Kelly Pavlik-ish. Great shot from Ricky. Another right hand gets home for Hatton. Ricky’s going for nothing but power shots, and there’s a combo. Hatton looking sharper offensively, but judging by this fight, I’m waiting for Lazcano to back him up with another couple of good shots and hurt him.

I don’t really like Nick and Wally harping on Hatton’s energy and not fighting three minutes a round and not being the fighter he used to be. He’s actually a much smarter fighter than he used to be, because he wasn’t going to be able to do what he used to do, physically, a lot longer than he did it. He’s still a good damned fighter. And he takes this round with a lot of nice work.

Hatton 10-9
Hatton 106-103

Billy Graham tells Ricky that he’s got the fight won, and to not get stupid.

Wally’s given Ricky nine rounds. I think that’s absurd. He’s winning the fight, but it’s been a lot closer than 9-2.

Hatton controlling the pace again, and I think Lazcano is just on his last legs and surviving the round and this fight. He came to fight and he did a good job, but he was again outclassed by a top-shelf fighter. That’s been the story of his career. He’s tough, but he’s just not good enough for these upper echelon types.

Lazcano drilled with a savage left hook from Hatton, and Ricky’s pressing. He really wants the KO, I think. This referee is for shit, to be honest. Certainly no Joe Cortez.

Great finish for Hatton, and a solid comeback effort. He didn’t take on a chump—he took on a tough cat that gave him a workout. Good fight.

Hatton 10-9
Hatton 116-112

Wally Matthews gave it 118-110 to Hatton. Again, I think that’s a bit much. It might be close to the official scores, though. Lazcano fought a fine fight, Hatton’s just better than him.

120-110
118-110
120-108

RICKY HATTON VIA UNANIMOUS DECISION

Those cards were awful. The referee was awful. Ricky Hatton won this fight, but he did not shut Juan Lazcano out for the love of God. Come the hell on already.