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'He’s got the biggest potential, especially on the American scene' - Paulie Malignaggi says Jared Anderson is the man with the potential but there are couple of red flags
Few have a tougher background than Paulie Malignaggi, a former boxing world champion who has also dabbled in bare-knuckle fighting and now offers insights as a pundit. He's known for his candidness and recently expressed concerns about a rising heavyweight prospect he believes may not be the future of boxing. Malignaggi, who held world titles in two weight classes during his 16-year career, shared his thoughts with ProBox TV. He discussed Jared Anderson, an unbeaten prospect with significant potential on the American boxing scene. Malignaggi acknowledged Anderson's promise but raised some red flags.
“He’s got the biggest potential, especially on the American scene. But potential does not always fulfil itself. But yes, I’m one of the ones expecting him to do great but here’s the thing, there are a couple of red flags.”The concerns revolve around Anderson's attitude towards the sport. Anderson has openly admitted that he doesn't love boxing and sees it solely as a job. Despite his impressive record of 14 knockouts in 15 fights, he went the distance only once, against former IBF champion Charles Martin. Anderson has also stated that he doesn't feel the need to become an undisputed champion to validate himself, even claiming to be "broke" at one point. Malignaggi took issue with these comments, especially Anderson's admission of breaking down in tears after what he perceived as a subpar performance against Martin. He questioned whether Anderson truly has a passion for boxing, noting that someone who doesn't enjoy the sport is unlikely to invest the extra effort and time required in the gym, particularly on the way up in the boxing world where passion is paramount.
“I wasn’t really into him crying but hey that can be a moment in the emotions. But you take that then take the fact he only wants to fight for three or four years and you start to think dude, does this guy even like boxing? You can’t be the future of anything you don’t like. You’re never going to put in the extra mile and extra time in the gym. On the way up that passion is everything.”While Anderson possesses the tools, power, and support of Top Rank, Malignaggi emphasized that achieving greatness in boxing hinges on the right mindset. If Anderson can develop a genuine passion for the sport, there's every reason to believe he can reach the pinnacle of the heavyweight division.
