Wednesday 15 February 2017 17:48, UK
Paulie Malignaggi believes the vast experience he has accrued from competing for world championships will allow him to out-fox upcoming opponent Sam Eggington.
The 36-year-old New Yorker (36-7) is a former two-weight world champion having shared a ring with the likes of Ricky Hatton, Amir Khan, Miguel Cotto, Adrien Broner, Zab Judah and Danny Garcia.
"Everybody that's beaten me has been a world champion or a past world champion, I haven't lost to this kind of fighter," Malignaggi said about Eggington, who he meets on the David Haye-Tony Bellew Sky Sports Box Office card on March 4.
I still believe I am the best fighter, even at 36-years-old, that Eggington has ever faced in his life. And Eggington is nowhere near the best fighter that I have faced.
"I would like to keep that reputation going. He's rough around the edges, a little bit raw. A lot of my veteran skills and my intelligence can carry me through in a fight with a young lion.
"It's not always a matter of will, it's a matter of skill. Eggington has a lot of will, but I have more than enough to beat him in the skills department.
"I still believe I am the best fighter, even at 36-years-old, that Eggington has ever faced in his life. And Eggington is nowhere near the best fighter that I have faced.
"Vyacheslav Senchenko was a big, tall fighter, I bet he's taller than Eggington. So I don't care about height, I don't care about physical presence, I don't care about physical prowess.
"None of that physical stuff matters - I've seen it all, I've done it all. You won't intimidate me with someone that's tall, or someone that throws so many punches. Juan Diaz threw a lot of punches. Senchenko was very tall. Miguel Cotto punched hard. I've seen all shapes and sizes.
"I've got 43 professional fights, a lot of them against the best in the world, and there's nothing Eggington can show me on March 4 that I haven't seen already."
Birmingham's Eggington, 23, sports a 19-3 pro record having most recently beaten Frankie Gavin, a former world title challenger, via eighth-round stoppage.
Paulie Malignaggi vs Sam Eggington is on the undercard to David Haye vs Tony Bellew, live on Sky Sports Box Office on March 4.
