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SHOWTIME SPORTS MEDIA CONFERENCE

December 18, 2007

In an excellent matchup, Paulie "Magic Man'' Malignaggi (23-1, 5 KO's) defend his IBF junior welterweight title against mandatory challenger and IBF No. 1 challenger Herman "The Black Panther'' Ngoudjo (16-1, 9 KO's) on the 2008 premiere of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Saturday, Jan. 5. The telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
The 12-round world title fight, promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, will originate from Bally's Main Ballroom at Atlantic City, N.J.
Tickets priced at $250 and $125 are on sale and can be purchased at the Bally's Box Office, by calling DiBella Entertainment at (212) 947-2577, Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com.
LOU DiBELLA: I think this is going to be a great way to start the boxing year in 2008. This is a terrific main event, and I'll talk more about that in a second. I do want to talk about the undercard because I think for, you know, a fight that's going to be in a ballroom at Bally's, this is an unusually strong undercard. And I want to mention some of the fighters that are going to be on the undercard.
One of Paulie's good friends, Nicky DeMarco, a junior lightweight will be fighting a four-rounder on the undercard. We have a 10-1 heavyweight, Kevin Burnett, on the undercard.
Now we get into world-class fighters immediately. Lovemore N'dou will make his comeback fight on this card. Looks like he'll fight a guy named Rafael Ortiz. Lovemore was beaten soundly by Paulie, but beaten more soundly than he was against Ricky Hatton. He's a former world champion, and he'll be on the comeback trail.
One of the most exciting young fighters in the world, a multi-time world champion and in the amateurs, and an Olympic gold medalist, Yuriokis Gamboa, who fights out of Hamburg, Germany, by way of Cuba is on the card. He's 7-0 with six knockouts. But an indication of how good this kid is and how progressed he is, he'll be fighting former world champion Freddie Norwood in his 8th pro fight. I think this is going to be a great opportunity for people to see Gamboa. I think Gamboa's a future star.
One of my fighters, a young heavyweight, one of the best American heavyweights from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Chazz Witherspoon, 20-0 with 14 KO's, he'll be fighting Kendrick Releford on the card. Who is a perennial testing ground for a heavyweight that's trying to make it to the top. That is a terrific match-up and a great opportunity to see Chazz.
Glen Johnson who is 40-11-2, a former multi-time world champion out of Miami, Florida. A man who beat both Tarver and Roy Jones Jr. One of the very best light heavyweights in the world. And a guy you can count on if he gets past this fight, you can count him fighting either a Chad Dawson or Antonio Tarver or a fight of major importance in his next fight. And that next fight is very likely to be on Showtime.
Glen will be fighting Mike Culbert from Boston, Mass. Culbert is 30-4. It is sort of a last-test for Glen before he gets a big fight and Showtime will be creating a highlight package of that bout. And that will be a highlight package of Glen will be on the air, and my understanding is Glen will join the Showtime announce crew and be interviewed during the telecast.
The main event, I'm very proud of the main event here. One of the stars of my stable of fighters is I think one of the very best young champions in the world, Paulie Malignaggi, is going to get a chance to show his skills and his ability and why he's a future star.
I really want to thank Ken Hirschmann and Showtime for giving Paulie this opportunity. And it's not an opportunity we're going to forget at DiBella Entertainment or Team Malignaggi.
Yes, he's fighting a number one contender. But he's fighting a number one contender who belongs with that moniker, who deserves this title shot fight. I thought that Herman Ngoudjo beat Jose Luis Castillo. I think he proved he didn't have much left in the tank, and I thought he should have gotten a win in that fight.
Castilla went on to make Ricky Hatton look like a million bucks. But I think Herman softened him up for Hatton. He's got a great team around him. Yvon Michel his company, Yvon Michel has long been the premier promoter in Canada. And Dino is one of the very best managers and a real stronghold in Canadian boxing. Howard Grant, a terrific trainer.
And Herman is, in my view, a legitimate number one contender, and a dangerous fighter for anybody. But I think he's got his hands full on January 5th with a guy that may well be the best 140 pounder in the world. I'm going to start by asking Herman if he wants to say a couple of words. Herman?
HERMAN NGOUDJO: I'd like Paulie to speak first.
LOU DiBELLA: You'd like Paulie to speak first?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: I want to thank everybody for the Ngoudjo, having waited six months for a title defense is a little frustrating. I'm glad everything worked out, and I'm opening up the year with a bang. Herman came out with some tough words. He's got a big mouth himself.
Just want Herman to know you're not fighting Herman Augustus or Bailey, you're fighting the best junior welterweight in the world. You're fighting the best fighter you ever fought in your life.
Believe me, when it's over, you're going to say this is the best fighter I've ever stepped in the ring with. Believe me when I tell you that. You opened your mouth, now be ready to try to back it up. I'm going to use your head as a pinball.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Everything you say pissed me off.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. You already pissed me off. Get mad. Get mad. Okay.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: I already said that.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Fuck you, you're a punk.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Everything you're saying for the internet? For everything that stuff?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Shut up, you're talking shit man, shut up.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: You can't say that stuff. I'm going to punish you for that.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Yeah, yeah, come, come, remember when your head is bouncing off my fists, remember I said like a pinball, like a pinball I'm going to use you.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: You can't take it. That's the probably. You cannot take it, you're going to see.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Okay.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: That is the problem. You're going to take it, you're going to see.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Don't worry. I'm in. I'm ready for you, buddy. I hope you come ready as you're talking. Believe me, everybody knows I'm coming ready. Malignaggi doesn't mess around.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Don't worry about that.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: The best in the world. I'm the best in the world. Remember that. When you get in the ring and they're announcing my name, remember you tell yourself, I'm fighting the best fighter in the world.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: With your mouth. That's your mouth, you know. With your mouth.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Remember that. I back mine up. Remember that.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: You remember that. You're going to fight the biggest puncher and the best boxer in the world.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: All right. I'll keep that in mind, too. When the bell rings, we'll see.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Good you keep that in mind.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: When the bell goes down, you'll remember that. Don't worry about it.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Remember that, this guy's going to put me down. Remember that.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: I'll keep that in mind. I'm going to talk to you when I'm kicking your ass. When I use your head as a pinball, I'm going to tell you what I'm doing to you. I'm going to remind you of this conversation when I'm kicking your ass.
When you get to round five, six, and you're frustrating and you can't touch me and I'm beating the shit out of you, just remember what I'm telling you right now.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: You think so?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Remember this conversation when I'm beating the shit out of you.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: You're going to be my girlfriend in the ring.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: I know you're gay like that. I don't go that route. I don't go that way, buddy.

Q. Paulie, you said you were cool, but that Ngoudjo has made this fight personal. How has he made it personal?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: He's talking shit. Look at my quotes on the internet. I always said I'm not overlooking Herman Ngoudjo. He comes on the phone talking shit. Before the conference even started, he came on the phone talking shit.
You just changed the whole outlook for me. All I need is extra motivation. I come motivated as it is, you don't need to add fuel to the fire. He just added the fuel to the fire.
If you look at my quotes prior to today. I said I respect Ngoudjo, he's a good fighter. But I'm going to be ready for him. You can read the quotes anywhere on the internet. He comes in talking shit, now he's going to pay for his words. I'm going to beat the shit out of this kid man.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: I'm going to kick your ass,
HERMAN NGOUDJO: I'm going to kick your ass, man.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Okay.

Q. One question for Ngoudjo. Most people know you won that fight with Herman. But that fight was held in early to mid-January. So you train through the holidays for that fight which was this year, January 2007. So this is no big deal for you to be training through the holidays for a world title fight, correct?
HERMAN NGOUDJO: It is a tradition for me to train during the holidays. So I have no problem to train on the holidays.

Q. This is going to be a world title fight. We've already discussed most people felt you did really beat Castillo last year, and you had that win over on another former world champion Bailey. But you've only had about 17 pro fights, can you tell us why you think you're ready for Paulie Malignaggi who is at the peak of his game today?
HERMAN NGOUDJO: I don't want to come back to my last fight with Castillo and Bailey. Now I'm focused to fight this guy, and I'm going to fight him. I'm not going to fight him, I'm going to put him down. I know I'm ready to fight the guy. He thinks he's the best fighter of the world, so I'm going to show him who is Herman Ngoudjo.
I'm ready. I'm 17-1, and that is nothing for me. So I'm going to prove him who is Herman Ngoudjo.

Q. Paulie, I know there is obviously some bad blood between you and Herman. But could you give us an idea what you saw in those fights that Herman had with Castillo and Bailey? Because they are at the end of their careers, but they're also very savvy fighters at this point. He showed something by what he did in those fights.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: I don't have to see anything. Herman has to look at what he sees in me. I don't have to see anything. I can beat anybody in the world. I don't have to see a thing.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Don't worry. In January in the ring, you'll see.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Think real hard, think real hard.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: You're talking shit.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Go home for the holidays, train hard, do your thing. And you go home and train hard again for the next one. Don't worry about it.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: You think so?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: You just keep training hard, don't worry about it.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Don't worry.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: You keep saying you're going to kick my ass. I hope you're ready to back your mouth up. I don't play that punk shit, man.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Yeah?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: I back mines up. I don't play that punk shit.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Okay, no problem. When I kick your ass, you're going to see.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Okay. Guys, I feel like I'm listening to a broken record here. I feel like I'm listening to a broken record.

Q. I'm wondering if you thought it was going to be an easier ride getting fights once you won the title? And just how frustrating has this process been of trying to get a fight?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: It was definitely a little frustrating. I was surprised how difficult it was to solidify my first defense. But that's all behind me. I only look at the positives. I don't dwell on anything negative. The positive is I got to fight on the 5th. I'm fighting Herman on the 5th, and I only look to the future. Right now my only focus is Herman Ngoudjo on January 5th.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: You're going to change your tune in the ring
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: You keep thinking that. I'm the best you ever fought, you stupid boxer? You understand that? You're not even close to the best I've ever fought. I'm the best you've ever fought. That is not an opinion, that's a fact. It's a fact.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: That's an opinion.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: It's not an opinion, it's a fact. I've been in the ring with sparring partners better than you, bro. But I'm the best you've ever been in the ring with. That's the difference between us both. Get that in your head.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Roy Jones was the best. Don't forget that.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: I'm the best you've ever been in the ring with.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Roy Jones was the best.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: You've never been in the ring with Roy Jones. We're talking about the best you've been in the ring with.

Q. The holiday spirit's overwhelming.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: What's he talking about Roy Jones? I know Roy Jones is the best. But you've never fought Roy Jones
HERMAN NGOUDJO: I'm going to kick your ass.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Okay, again. This guy doesn't say anything else.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Because I know I'm going to kick your ass. You want me to say anything else?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Get creative, man. Media's listening
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Don't worry about that. You're going to be my wife.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Come on, guys.

Q. I've been to some of your fights and seen you before, I know you like to be brash and speak out. This one seems to have you a little more irritated than normal, what's the story?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Because he caught me a little off guard talking shit. I haven't been disrespecting him until today. Now I have no problem. I looked at him as a workman-like type of fighter. But now he's a workman type of fighter with a big mouth. So I'm going to enjoy beating the shit out of this guy.
It goes back to what I said before. I'm the best he fought. Castillo and Bailey don't count. You know my track record, this guy's nothing close to the best I fought.

Q. For somebody that's talking the way you're talking, we all know what a terrific boxer you are. Not a lot of pop though. Is this a guy that maybe you can summon the strength and knock the guy out?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Whatever happens, happens, man. I don't dwell on the negatives. I just get in there and do my job, you know what I mean? All that is on paper. All that is on paper. Not a lot of pop is on paper. When I hit you and I hit harder than you thought I did, you can't call timeout when I throw it. It's me and you in there at that point.

Q. Obviously, this is a mandatory fight, so you don't have a choice but to take it. So I know you have to focus on that. But do you think about the other big possible fights? Ricky Hatton's probably, they said he's going to come back into the division after what happened with Mayweather, he's a big name. Brings a lot of attention and money. There are other guys out there. Do you think of other fighters that you like? Hatton seems to be a fight that people talk about a little bit
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Yeah, I noticed a lot of people talk about me fighting Ricky Hatton. Right now I'm focused on January 5th and shutting this chump's mouth up. So I'll discuss Ricky Hatton on January 6th.

Q. Herman, are you there?
HERMAN NGOUDJO: I'm here.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: And he's going to kick my ass.

Q. So I've heard.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Ready to dance with me?

Q. When you fought Jose Castillo in January, when the bell rang at the end of the fight, how confident were you that you had won the fight? And how surprised were you to hear you had lost? I guess it was a split decision.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Sure, I was 100% the winner for that fight. So everything happened. I don't know. I was down, I was very disappointed. But after a couple of minutes, couple of hours I feel better after.

Q. You felt better very quickly, you said?
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Yeah, yeah, I felt better very quickly.

Q. How come you felt better so quickly when many people felt you should have gotten that decision?
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Because everybody told me I won the fight, so I was okay. I don't complain about everything. So everything happened, I don't know.

Q. This fight has become very personal, but how do you not allow the personal matter to interfere with your style of fighting? Are you going to stick to what you do best?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: I'm Paulie Malignaggi for a reason. I'm a professional. I do my business in a professional manner. The 5th's going to be no different. He made it personal, but it's not going to be the first guy that made this business personal for me. I always handle my business in a professional manner no matter who is in there. He's not the right guy to do it, he's not the first guy to do it, and I'm going to handle my business the same way I always handle it.

Q. If you get your decision, will you be is that priority number one to get the win?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Priority number one is to beat his ass. That's priority number one. Whichever way it comes it comes.

Q. Herman, one thing you did talk about putting Paulie on the canvas, but we all know Paulie is a very elusive fighter defensively. How are you going to eliminate his defensive elusiveness?
HERMAN NGOUDJO: I'm going to make him dance, and I'm going to put him down, that's it. I'll make him dance for me, and then after, he'll go down.

Q. Now that Christmas is around the corner, how are you going to deal with all the holidays and New Year's Eve in the middle of training?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Doesn't matter. I'm in training camp. I'm a professional. And to answer the question the same way: I'm a professional, I handle all my business in a professional way.
For me, when I'm training, all days are the same. Weekends, weekdays, doesn't matter. I lose track of the days because I'm not paying attention to the days or days of the week whether it's a holiday or not. I'm a professional, I handle my business in camp.

Q. Have you seen the video of Paulie fighting and you could use the same strategy that Cotto used for that fight?
HERMAN NGOUDJO: I don't want to see it. I know it was shit, no. I don't want to see it.

Q. I watched your fight when you won your championship against N'dou over the summertime. You won that fight so easily. You dropped him and won probably all 12-rounds. Were you just on your absolute best game that night? Or what was it as easy as it looked I guess is the question? It was such a dominance performance.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Listen, he made me work. I came in strong. I had a great training camp, I was healthy. I haven't been healthy for a lot of fights in my career, but I was healthy the last couple of years now. I think I was able to put it all together that night. Based on a great training camp and great training from my trainers. At the same time I was determined to win the championship.

Q. It looked like late in that fight you were just having fun. He couldn't touch you.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: That is the main thing, you can't go in there all serious all the time. Boxing is serious as it is. You got to enjoy yourself. I'm the kind of guy that I want to enjoy myself. Even when I'm fighting I want to enjoy myself. Some people say it's disrespect or I'm a clown in there. But I want to have fun in my life. And I like boxing, and I want to have fun doing it.

Q. I know you won the title, but was that your biggest win in terms of the way you felt?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: It was the most important one of my career. It wasn't the toughest fight. I was determined, but Lovemore gave me a good fight, nonetheless. It was the most important one of of my career at the time I fought it.

Q. I think the understanding was there was going to be a rematch. Obviously the rematch has not happened. You won the fight so easily, Lovemore is now on the undercard. On can you explain what's going on with that? Do you have to fight him again? What is the story there?
LOU DiBELLA: The story is we have agreed we'll fight him. But there are exceptions. I don't want to get into it on the call. But if Paulie has an opportunity to fight a fight with Ricky Hatton, Lovemore would not stand in the way. But if our dance card is not full and we need a keep-busy fight, then Lovemore will be that fight.

Q. Lou, how many times do you think you can get Paulie in the ring assuming everything can go well in this fight?
LOU DiBELLA: He can't sit just the way he just sat. And he's not the kind of fighter that wants to fight twice a year. I'm counting that Paulie would fight at least three times this year and possibly four.

Q. I assume you like the idea of a busy schedule?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: The busier, the better for me, man. You're only young once. I feel like I got to take advantage of these years. That's what I got to do right now.

Q. Coming off the Castillo fight where you were 100% sure you won and they gave it to Castillo, the decision, coming into this fight without giving away your strategy, do you feel like you need to win this fight by knockout or do you have faith that if it goes to a decision, that you can win one? Basically the question is is it fair you have to win my knockout to win this fight?
HERMAN NGOUDJO: I'll knock him out. But even if it goes to a decision, I'll win in a decision, no problem.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: I'm going to kick your ass.

Q. What do you want to see from Paulie in this fight? Is there anything particular you guys have been working on in this camp?
McGirt: We've been working on certain things we have to do to beat Ngoudjo. He has a very good trainer in Mr. Grant. We know that he's going to be prepared. And you try to put yourself in Mr. Grant's shoes, if I was training him, what would I have him do against Paulie. So mainly we're working on the victory, doing what we need to do to win.

Q. When Paulie first came and started working with you, what did you see him in as just a fighter that you said, okay, I'm going to take this and I'm going to mold it?
McGirt: He has a never-say-die attitude. He's sort of a perfectionist. When he get it's wrong, he gets mad and he's determined to stay in the gym until he feels he's got it right. One week last week I was sick. And he stayed in the gym for 45 minutes after he was done working on a move we had been working on just to make sure he had it right. Once he felt it was right, no matter how many times I said it was, he had the feeling himself it was right, and then he left. That's what I like about him.
I like that attitude. Him and Vernon Forrest have that attitude. That is what makes champions.

Q. The important thing is to win, but Buddy just said do you feel potentially with some big fights against Hatton or whatever down the line, that you need to win impressively or is it just important for you to win?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Do I ever not win impressively? I think pretty much every time I won the fight I've either had a knockout or won every round of every fight I've had, every fight I've won. So I don't think you can say any of my wins have not been impressive to this point to answer that question. Obviously, you always want to look impressive. I train to win and look impressive.
LOU DiBELLA: I don't have the numbers in front of me, but we did a -- not to the round. But I had my staff look at Paulie's fights and the scoring and his rounds won to rounds lost has got to be one of the most impressive in all of boxing.
When you look at his last two fights against Cherry, who looked pretty impressive since Paulie beat him. He won every round in his last two fights. He might have given Cherry one round and he had a complete shutout against N'dou. That is 21 out of 22 if you're being kind to Cherry.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: And I'm not doing this against schmucks. I'm doing it against quality opposition. It's not just quantity of rounds, it's the quality of rounds that I'm fighting, and I think that speaks for itself.

Q. Assuming you get through your opponent now, who do you want to fight next?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: I don't keep that in mind right now. My only focus is Ngoudjo. I want the best fights possible, every fighter wants that. But right now I only have Herman Ngoudjo on my mind.

Q. I hate to take you going forward to this fight. But I'd like to talk about your last fight against Cotto. What went wrong with the Cotto fight? Do you think in your mind that you lost that fight?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Yeah, I lost the fight. It was a learning experience. I lost the fight. I'm not a sore loser. If I lose the fight, I lost the fight. Miguel Cotto's a great champion. At the same time one day I'd like to get a chance for a rematch. I was a little inexperienced.
I do believe I gave Cotto his toughest defense in the 140-pound division. And maybe one day we'll do it again. But right now the focus and only the focus is Herman Ngoudjo.

Q. Taking on Ngoudjo, he's not in your league based on the boxing report on him, he's not in your league. Why did you take the fight?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: He's the mandatory challenger in the IBF. It's the fight Showtime wanted and we made it. I want to thank Showtime for that opportunity. And I don't handle the politics or the business of the sport. I just handle the job in the ring. The job in the ring is to beat Herman Ngoudjo, that is the fight that was made, so that's the fight I'm going to win January 5th.

Q. Herman, this is the toughest fight of your career. How have you changed your training to deal with the power of Malignaggi, keeping in mind he's the best that you've ever fought?
HERMAN NGOUDJO: The power. You know, Bailey was a big winner, 34 wins 32 wins, so 35-32. For your information, Paulie didn't take this fight. We are the mandatory challengers in the fight against Paulie.
It's not about a cake walk. Like Paulie said, we had nothing to do with the politics. And Herman beat in the elimination and became the mandatory challenger. So come out on the 5th and see if it's going to be a cake walk.

Q. Herman, speedwise, is there anybody that you've fought that's remotely close to the speed and quickness of Malignaggi?
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Only fight against Augustus. He was pretty quick. The two fighters have in common, the fight against Donald Camarino. He was pretty quick. The speed of Malignaggi. He's very slick fighter. He moves very well. He's hard to hit, he's very greasy, slippery, he dips and ducks and everything else. You know, I'm not going to be here but we are prepared for the task.

Q. Did you bring in any special type of sparring partners for this?
HERMAN NGOUDJO: If you've been checking in the boxing scene in Quebec, we have a slew of volunteers. We have one guy that is very, very similar. The only difference is he's a bit of a puncher. So we have two different guys I work with.
But our homework has been done. You know, everybody's saying happy holiday. It's not happy holiday. We've got to train through the holiday and the new year. I'm sure our buddy, Paulie feels the same way. We have to work through the holidays on this thing.

Q. Herman, you didn't quite tell me how you've adjusted your training to deal with Malignaggi's power?
HERMAN NGOUDJO: Could you repeat your question?

Q. How have you altered your training with Malignaggi's power?
HERMAN NGOUDJO: If you don't have glasses, you should get up there. I don't want to be a smart ass. But Paulie's got 5 knockouts in 23 wins. If he's a big puncher, it doesn't show on the fight boxer and the box track. It shows he's a hell of a boxer. He wins fights by decision. He shuts guys out. You know, the power factor, you know, it's really not there. Look closer at the boxing record.

Q. If you win this fight, what would you do next?
HERMAN NGOUDJO: We're not thinking about next or next year. The only thing we're thinking about is the 5th of January. After the 5th, then we talk. But we're not looking past Paulie. We're not looking past the 5th. We're just looking to get to Atlantic City and do this fight. That's it.

Q. Will it be by knockout, do you think?
HERMAN NGOUDJO: The boxers said they're going to knock everybody out and then nobody shows up. You know what I mean? So you've got to show up to the fight. Buy your ticket, the pay-per-view, I don't know whatever it is over there. Buy what you have to do and show up and watch the fight and see what happens.

Q. Herman said he was able to get over his first loss because he got so much support from the people. How long did it take you to get over the loss from Cotto? It certainly hasn't affected your performances in the ring. Because a lot of fighters lose a fight and they're devastated and takes them a while to get back. But you've bounced back. How long mentally did it take you to get over suffering your first defeat?
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: It's not really something you get over. I never accept a loss. I don't accept it. I can never be happy with a loss. It was very disappointing night for me. But at the end of the day, I have a job to uphold. I have to do my job and continue to win my fights. It's not something I think I ever got over. I'm a perfectionist, everybody says. I have to have everything perfect for me to be happy.
My record is not perfect. Hopefully, one day I get a chance to avenge that loss. It's not something I've grown accustomed to accepting. I don't like the way it felt. And, obviously, it motivates me. It's a big motivator.
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI: Expect fireworks on the 5th, man. I'm missing the holidays, so I'm going to bring my own fireworks on January 5th. I'm going to kick your ass, Herman Ngoudjo. Good all right, see you guys on the 5th. Bye-bye.
HERMAN NGOUDJO: I'll be ready, and I'll be there.
LOU DiBELLA: I think you get a sense these guys are ready to get it on. You're going to see a terrific fight in the ring. They're both highly skilled boxers. It's always nice when there is a little bit of animosity, because that tends to make for a better match-up.
It's a tremendous undercard. An unusually good undercard, and I look forward to seeing the first big fight of 2008. And if you can't get to Atlantic City, where, by the way, it's a small room at Bally's. It's a ballroom. But there are still some very good seats left.
You can call Bally's Entertainment at 212-947-2577 or get them through Bally's. But again, the Bally's number is 212-947-2577. Also they're available at Ticketmaster. So if you can't reach our office over the holidays, they're available through Ticketmaster.
Have a great holiday season, everybody. See you January 5th. If you can't be there, Showtime Championship Boxing. Thank you.
THE MODERATOR: On behalf of everyone involved in this fight card, merry Christmas, happy holidays, and looking forward to having 2008 being the magic number at Showtime, beginning on Friday, January 4th, with Showbox, featuring the undefeated world ranked Peterson brothers, and the very next night this great, great title fight. Thanks for all your support.

End of FastScripts

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SHOWTIME SPORTS MEDIA CONFERENCE

December 18, 2007

Lou DiBella

Pualie Malignaggi

Herman Ngoudjo