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Boxing

Paulie Malignaggi: More Promotion Needed for Young American Boxers

Boxing is a sport on the decline in the United States, a sport that's not as popular as it used to be and that doesn't capture the imaginations of young people.

But the American boxer Paulie Malignaggi has a simple idea for how to change that: Promote boxers like himself.

Malignaggi, who will fight Ricky Hatton on Saturday night for the world junior welterweight championship, told me today that young American boxers like himself need to get more attention from promoters and the media, who focus too much (in Malignaggi's view) on older boxers and boxers from other countries.

"We're relying too much on old stars, the old names to keep us afloat," Malignaggi said. "Oscar De La Hoya, Roy Jones, they won't be fighting much longer and we need young stars to take their place. Fans want to see young stars, not old guys."

Malignaggi added that while there are many great boxers outside the United States, he wishes American promoters would work harder to promote American boxers.

"We have good young fighters right now, good young champions, but we're too busy promoting foreign fighters," said Malignaggi, who was born and raised in Brooklyn.

Malignaggi has a long way to go before he's a household name like De La Hoya and Jones, but a win over Hatton on Saturday night would be a major step toward getting there.

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