Amir Khan and Paulie Malignaggi brawl during weigh-in
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8679346.stmAmir Khan and Paulie Malignaggi were at the centre of a brawl during the weigh-in for their WBA light-welterweight title bout on Saturday in New York.
Champion Khan and New York challenger Malignaggi had weighed in amid noisy scenes at Madison Square Garden.
When the two fighters went head-to-head for pictures, they touched foreheads and were seen arguing before they began pushing each other.
No punches were thrown by either fighter but chaos erupted.
Others at the weigh-in became involved and the stage filled with people before order was restored after a few minutes.
Both fighters were pulled from the scene, leaving through separate exits, and Khan's camp departed without commenting.
For the record, Khan tipped the scales at 139.5lbs (63.3 kg), while Malignaggi came in at 139lbs (63kg).
Weigh-in confrontations are not uncommon in boxing when tickets remain unsold, but Malignaggi's promoter Lou DiBella gave the impression he was not happy about the incident at Manhattan's Essex House Hotel.
"This is amateur," he shouted. "The public was not supposed to be here. One more thing like this and I'm pulling [Malignaggi] out of the fight.
"My guy got roughed up by his people. Some gentleman. Go back to England."
Khan, 23, is set for his American debut in New York against Brooklyn's former IBF world champion and there had already been a furious war of words conducted during the course of the big-fight build-up.
Malignaggi's record is 27 wins and three losses with one of those defeats coming against Ricky Hatton in 2008.
Since then, he has changed his training team and rebuilt his game, describing this world title shot as "redemption" for what he has been through.
But Khan, whose record is 22-1, dismissed his opponent, saying: "He won't be getting another chance after this."
Even Malignaggi's own manager refers to his fighter as "the mouth that roared", but Khan made light of his taunts, saying it just showed how scared the American was.
"It's quite funny really when you hear the remarks. I think when a fighter talks a lot of trash he's probably scared or he's trying to put something in my head to scare me," he said.
"Paulie's not one of those fighters who talks trash to sell a fight.
"He's doing it because I think he's under a bit of pressure and he's got a bit of fear in him.
"So he just wants to scare me so I'm on the same level as him but I'm nice and chilled out."
Khan's build-up to the fight has been disrupted by visa complications which forced him to relocate his training camp to Canada.
But Malignaggi said he wanted to beat Khan fair and square and without anyone making excuses.
"This is an opportunity to beat a champion that everybody is saying is so great and all this," said the former IBF light-welterweight champion.
"But after the fight on Saturday night I don't want to hear anyone saying Khan was over-rated, or he got stuck in Vancouver, I don't want to hear anything like that.
"He said he wants the biggest fights in America and he wants to fight Paulie Malignaggi. Well, be careful what you wish for."
Meanwhile, Khan's trainer Freddie Roach has reiterated his belief that the Bolton fighter can dominate the boxing world.
Roach will be in Khan's corner for the fifth time at the weekend and has backed him to have a career that will stand comparison with that of five-weight world champion Manny Pacquaio.
"That's who people compare him to," Roach said. "In Vancouver [for Khan's training camp], my friend who owns the gym said 'Freddie, that's your next Manny'. I said 'I know'.
"People tell me that and I envision that but I don't say it too often.
"He has all the tools to do it but as Manny says to me, 'you train me and get me ready but it's up to me to win the fight'.
"And it's up to Amir to go out there and perform and win the fight, so I can only do so much."
Khan has rejuvenated his career since linking up with Roach in Los Angeles following his first-round knockout by Breidis Prescott in September 2008.
Since then he has gone on to win the WBA light-welterweight title and Roach sees a similar career path to Pacquiao's rise to the top.
"Manny got knocked out twice before he was world champion. Amir was 21 when he got knocked out and he was a kid too," said Roach.
"[Amir] has less room for error because at a young age he's put himself in a very hot division, packed with talent.
"But I see it as a great opportunity to have greatness."
I'll go for Khan aswel 
