Malignaggi, Dirrell On HBO Saturday
By Boxing News June 13th, 2007HBO’s late-night boxing series showcases an action-packed doubleheader when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: LOVEMORE N’DOU VS. PAULIE MALIGNAGGI AND CURTIS STEVENS VS. ANDRE DIRRELL is presented SATURDAY, JUNE 16 at 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT), from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn., exclusively on HBO.
The main event features a 12-round junior welterweight title showdown, as Lovemore N’Dou (45-8-1, 30 KOs) of Sydney, Australia puts his title on the line against the flashy and popular Brooklynite Paulie Malignaggi (22-1, 5 KOs). N’Dou is a veteran fighter with more than twice as many professional bouts on his resume than Malignaggi.
In the opening bout, Brooklyn’s heavy-handed Curtis Stevens (17-1, 12 KOs) faces 2004 Olympic Bronze medalist Andre Dirrell (11-0, 7 KOs), out of Flint, Mich., in a ten-round clash of young super middleweight prospects. With his power, 22-year-old Stevens has quickly become a fan favorite in the New York area, earning 11 of his 12 knockouts in the first two rounds. Dirrell, a complete boxer with respectable power, hopes to show he’s on the fast track to prominence in the 168-pound division.
The telecast kicks off at 9:30 p.m. with the exclusive replay of the thrilling Miguel Cotto-Zab Judah junior welterweight title fight.