Khan's stoppage of Malignaggi spurs look ahead

In the minutes after he was soundly beaten by Amir Khan, Paulie Malignaggi was still talking. But this time, instead of brashly declaring that Khan wouldn't be able to beat Malignaggi in the Brooklyn native's hometown, Malignaggi was humble and deferential.

"He was bigger, stronger, faster," Malignaggi said, his face showing the effects of the beating he took from Khan before referee Steve Smoger stopped the fight at 1:25 of the 11th round late Saturday night. "I had a similar style when I was starting out and I just ran into a clone of myself when I was younger. He fought a great fight."

Khan admitted he was nervous in making his American debut - it was, in fact, his first fight outside of his native United Kingdom - and especially so given that it was in Malignaggi's backyard. But Khan was the self-assured one from the opening bell, connecting with a left jab that Malignaggi could never avoid. Khan easily retained his WBA super lightweight crown at the Theater at Madison Square Garden.

This was Khan's fifth fight with trainer Freddie Roach, and it was Roach who instilled the fight plan to keep the active Malignaggi at bay with the left jab and come in with good combinations when Malignaggi tried to stand and punch.

"We just stuck to the game plan," Khan said. "We knew Paulie was a very awkward fighter. We had to break him down slowly."

At 29 and now with losses to Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Juan Diaz along with Khan - the four boxers who were a notch above him in talent - Malignaggi has to consider his future.

"I don't want to be a punching bag," he said. "I'll sit down with my team."

Khan has larger aspirations now. He rattled off three of the big names in the 140-pound class in Argentina's Marcos Maidana (28-1, 27 KOs), plus the other two champions: WBO champion Tim Bradley (25-0, 11 KOs) and WBC and IBF champ Devon Alexander (20-0, 13 KOs).

"I'm not leaving the 140-pound division until I unify the title," Khan said. "Until I'm No. 1, I'm not going to leave this division."

A Khan-Maidana fight seems to be up next, and Khan - 23-1 with 17 knockouts - suggested that Bradley and Alexander fight so that the winners can face off for a unified division title.

Things never go quite so logically and smoothly, it seems. But the fact that there now seems to be a clear top four in the 140-pound class means there will be a few compelling fights in the near future. And even Malignaggi, as big a student of boxing as there is in the game, is intrigued about what's to come.

"As a fan, you have to like some of these matchups," Malignaggi said. "And Amir's the youngest of the bunch. I give him a lot of credit."