Showtime Permanently Removes Malignaggi From Broadcasting Team Over IFL TV Comments

[Ruthless-RKO]

Paulie Malignaggi’s mouth was one of his greatest assets when he was a fighter and has helped him become one of boxing’s best broadcasters.

Comments Malignaggi made three months ago, however, have cost Malignaggi his job as an analyst for Showtime.

Boxing Scene has learned that Malignaggi will not be part of Showtime’s broadcasting team moving forward due to comments Malignaggi made regarding racism and other issues during an interview with IFL TV that posted to its YouTube channel April 22.



Malignaggi, 39, had been an analyst for Showtime since September 2012, but his outspokenness has caused several issues during his seven-plus years with the network.

The decision to eliminate Malignaggi from Showtime’s broadcast team was made when Showtime wanted Malignaggi to apologize for what he said. Malignaggi did not think an actual apology was necessary.

Malignaggi declined comment when reached Thursday by BS.com. A Showtime spokesman also would not comment regarding Malignaggi’s situation.

BS.com has been informed, though, that the network will keep Malignaggi off its upcoming “Showtime Championship Boxing” and Showtime Pay-Per-View telecasts until the conclusion of his contract.

The Brooklyn native, a former junior welterweight and welterweight champion, remains an analyst for Sky Sports’ boxing coverage in the United Kingdom.

Showtime will return to the air Saturday night with its first boxing broadcast since March 13. Mauro Ranallo, Showtime’s blow-by-blow announcer, and longtime analyst Al Bernstein will work that telecast from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

[Enlightened-One]

Edit: Apparently there's more to this story than the iFL TV interview.

I'll withhold my opinion until I know more.

Second edit: Several YouTube videos are claiming there's more to this story (such as DontaesBoxingNation & a couple of others), but I haven't seen any proof of their claims.

So if the iFTL TV interview is the only reason Malignaggi was sacked by Showtime, then I honestly don't understand the reason for them firing him.

[Enlightened-One]

What did he say on IFLTV?

Honestly, I'm not sure.... maybe it was his use of the phrase "dominant species" and I think he also implied white Europeans we're better at the moment in boxing (which was in the context of Haney's "white boy" comments")?

Here's how The RING reported the story:

"Paulie Malignaggi permanently removed from Showtime broadcast team over race comments"

Malignaggi was responding to comments made from 135-pound titlist Devin Haney (24-0, 15 knockouts) who stated in April that he’d “never let a white boy beat me.”

“He probably wasn’t talking about (Vasiliy) Lomachenko,” Malignaggi said. “I assume he was talking about Luke Campbell, who I think (is) the more viable opponent that Haney would be fighting.”

Malignaggi gave Haney the benefit of the doubt.

“When you’re in your early twenties, you probably don’t express that very well. It’s not something that great to make racial (statements) in 2020, especially with so many racial tensions in the world.”

Then Malignaggi delved into dominance in boxing and how throughout history, it has shifted via racial/ethnic lines.

“Boxing has had its course in history with certain demographics dominating more than others, right?” Malignaggi said in the video. “Maybe like 100 years ago, Irish fighters were better. And then the Jews and the Italians came in. I think the African-American fighter became most dominant in the sport in the 70s, 80s, and even 90s.”



Malignaggi (36-8, 7 knockouts), who retired in 2017 after suffering an eighth-round knockout at the hands of Sam Eggington, said “it’s not great to have the race discussion because it’s going to coordinate division,” before stating “it’s no longer the time of the African American anymore in boxing.”

“It’s (the Eastern Europeans) that has become the dominant species in boxing,” Malignaggi said. “I think stating something like (Haney’s statement) could be very dangerous.”

That turned out to be the case for Malignaggi, who had been a Showtime analyst since September 2012. According to Idec, the network is working on a severance agreement while he is off the air.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Paulie is an outspoken right winger in a time where those voices arent really welcome in sports. This was inevitable

[Enlightened-One]

I appreciate this is a sensitive subject for some people, but if you consider Malignaggi’s comments in the context they were intended, there is a certain amount of legitimacy about them.

For instance, just reviewing the skin colour of the best fighters per division, as listed by The RING for two different eras:

Today’s top dogs per weight class (126lbs to heavyweight):

• Heavyweight = Tyson Fury
• Cruiserweight = Mairis Briedis
• Light heavyweight = Artur Beterbiev
• Super middleweight = Callum Smith
• Middleweight = Canelo
• Junio welterweight = Josh Taylor
• Lightweight = Vasyl Lomachenko
• Featherweight = Josh Warrington

And if you look at the annual ratings for 1990 (126lbs to heavyweight):

• Heavyweight = Evander Holyfield
• Cruiserweight = Jeff Lampkin
• Light heavyweight = Virgil Hill
• Super middleweight = Thomas Hearns
• Middleweight = Michael Nunn
• Junior middleweight = Terry Norris
• Welterweight = Simon Brown
• Lightweight = Pernell Whitaker
• Junior lightweight = Azumah Nelson
• Featherweight = Antonio Esparragoza

In my mind, today’s best fighters (those listed in the above weight classes) look different than their 1990’s counterparts. And I don’t mean to be derogatory or bigoted when I say this either, because all I’ve done is research the validity of Malignaggi’s claims in his iFL TV interview.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

What he said wasnt untrue but truth doesnt matter right now especially in sports and the corporate world in general. You toe the line or you get fired.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Although the word species is the wrong word but paulie is a high school dropout who got his in the head for a living so i think there is some leeway there

[Tony1244]

Paulie is an outspoken right winger in a time where those voices arent really welcome in sports. This was inevitable

I don't know if he's Right wing or if he knows what Right wing is. He doesn't know what "species" means. His generality was correct, but it's best to shut up about such things.

[Tony1244]

Cancel culture got into boxing

Just wait for kneeling for the National Anthem.

If kneeling is good enough for God, it's good enough for the flag.

Symbolism is for the simple.

[Thomastearns]

We've seen this political nonsense in sports before. Berlin 1936 was one famous occasion. Louis v Schmeling same year and 2 years later were 2 more examples. Some might remember the Olympic boycotts of 1976, 1980 and 1984.

Censorship and propaganda have always been political weapons but maybe for the first time they're being openly used in the West by the Left. Kim Jong Un and Putin and co must all be watching with great interest.

The mainstream media seems determined to exclude any outspoken voices right now. They only seem to want what they consider representative castrated voices at present.

Paulie Malignaggi seems determined to follow in the social media footsteps of Teddy Atlas and Mike Tyson. Good for him. Apart from his spitting incident, I'm a big fan of their no holds barred conversational style. Who wants all that 'sweeping under the carpet' sanitised stuff?

As for the media, I won't be too surprised to see them change their tune once their revenues start to decline. Especially if the race to the White House goes against their wishes.

Or maybe not. Maybe the world has changed for good and we just haven't realised yet.

What was that Mr Gates, about your vaccine?

[Onetimeonly]

He's a shitty announcer but he did nothing wrong there based on what the liar copied and pasted.

[margaret thatcher]

if it's just the bit he said about the changes with italians/blacks/east euros etc then it is just total snowflakism. is everyone this sensitive in the states? who are the people pushing all this sh!t? are they more sensitive with paulie since he's white and the showtime/pbc top guys tend to mostly be black?

obviously things change in the course of a sport that goes back centuries

[IKSRTFO]

Don't understand what he said was controversial. Maybe because boxing is a worldwide sport and "true" fans see it as a community of different nations that we don't have a problem stating the obvious between nationalities and races.

[oogiebe]

Ridiculous. Not a fan of Paulie, but this has gotten out of control.

[margaret thatcher]

TBF from a business perspective, the showtime/pbc/gawd haymon roster is afro american heavy and has a lot of support from that demographic, and maybe there is legit concern among execs that one of their biggest demographics will not like comments like eastern euros are the strongest species today and no longer afro americans

though tbh how many of them even watch ifl or stuff

[Cent0089]

People today is so sensitive it is not even funny anymore. Boxers and people around them talking so much idiotic trash and nobody cares. But when you say anything about race or gender it will be end for you

[punchoutsb]

He wasn't a good commentator anyway, but this is obviously still ridiculous.

It's also 2020 so nothing at all surprising about it.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Paulie is an outspoken right winger in a time where those voices arent really welcome in sports. This was inevitable

I don't know if he's Right wing or if he knows what Right wing is. He doesn't know what "species" means. His generality was correct, but it's best to shut up about such things.

He is 100 percent a right winger. He is pretty outspoken about it on twitter and his podcast

Paulie is the best color commentator (wait is that racist now?) Too bad we dont get to hear him

[Onetimeonly]

So he knows his politics better than his boxing. Who cares?

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

I always found him insightful. Hes a douche but im not going to a bar with him so i dont mind that.

Who is the best color man in your opinion?

[Onetimeonly]

I don't like any of them. Al used to be good. Paulie is just biased towards any 'boxer', ruffles my feathers. He does make good points along with it.

Cosell was the goat. I've always wanted crowd noise and no announcing. Now I've got the opposite.

[brilo33]

paulies the man big mistake getting rid of him, its just cant even talk about anything in this day and age , i doubt any one was offened by what he said absolute joke so if he is losing his job for talking about what hanley said then why isnt hanley not in jail if it was so bad

[brilo33]

I always found him insightful. Hes a douche but im not going to a bar with him so i dont mind that.

Who is the best color man in your opinion?

robin reid could of should of been a model

[gregregegg]

Did anyone actually care about this at the time? Did anyone actually remember this by the time boxing came back? or was he fired because he wouldn't say sorry and his boss/bosses saw that as defiant.
Look the term "dominant species" isnt great, and apart from anything else its just a factually wrong use of the word species. but i think everyone knew what he was saying, he was actually anti dividing boxers by race, then just through that in as a "but if your doing it" type point.

He was clearly talking about boxing, and not just boxing but a specific time period in boxing. Noone would get mad if someone said, black athletes dominate sprinting, or basketball, or even if white athletes dominate swimming, i think it all comes down to that tiny phrase dominant species, witch sounds bad but fornicate are we going to make everyone need to be a biology expert, even those who picked a career of getting punched in the head for a living? yea he should of said, dominant ethnicity or race or something, but geeze your losing a great annalist for not much there.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

No normal person is offended by a picture of aunt jemima but here we are