In this short video clip, veteran fighter Paulie Malignaggi recites an open letter to the sport of boxing about what pushes him to keep on fighting:
"I don't need the money. I don't need the fame. But I still need to fight," Malignaggi begins.
"Even my friends think I'm a little crazy. And maybe I am. Hey, I'd have never been a champ if I weren't. I know fighters don't age gracefully. I know fighters get hurt. But I also know in my heart, I gotta fight, at least one more time. Why? Well I'll tell you. Love. Not the normal kind, no. More like a bad girlfriend. She's broken my heart. She'll do it again. And I keep coming back for more. I love her despite her treachery. My mind knows better, my heart doesn't. And it was heart that got me here in the first place.
"You see, boxing loved me when no one else would. I was a kid from Sicily. A high school dropout. Boxing gave me things I couldn't imagine. Boxing let me dream. That's what I want. That's what I'm fighting for -- that chance to dream again."