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Gabriel Bracero on Malignaggi loss: ‘I wasn’t myself’

Fighters Network
01
Aug
Gabriel Bracero (left) fires a left hand at Paul Malignaggi at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York on July 30, 2016. Photo credit: Amanda Westcott/Showtime

Gabriel Bracero (left) fires a left hand at Paul Malignaggi at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York on July 30, 2016. Photo credit: Amanda Westcott/Showtime

Gabriel Bracero is by no means over the moon after losing to Paul Malignaggi Saturday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and on Showtime Extreme, even though he got a decent payday and some publicity.

But he is not crushed, demoralized by the loss, pushed into a spiral of sadness because he lost this battle of borough supremacy.

“I wasn’t myself,” he told me Monday. “I was fat. Damn.”

Bracero (24-3, 5 knockouts) understands that his body is better suited for 140, not welterweight. He felt bloated, not crisp and sharp.



And no, in case you were wondering, it didn’t affect Bracero, age 35, that he and Paulie are friendly. “Hell no. I was trying to hit him hard,” Bracero said, “but I hydrated too much. He was not trying to exchange. I was willing to take one of his, so he can take one of mine…He wouldn’t. I effed up.”

Paulie fought smart, Gabe said. No, his hand speed didn’t surprise Bracero. The constant movement from the fighter/Showtime ringside analyst kept him from getting into a trading situation, which he wanted to get into, to try and exert a power edge. And being too hydrated, he felt sluggish and his movement was affected and he couldn’t track down the nimbler-footed fellow Brooklyner.

Live, learn, come back better; that’s the plan.

The outing felt pretty much like sparring, so Bracero feels OK physically. He just got a call; he’s got a fight booked in September and he figures the bloating issue will be moot, as it will be set for junior welterweight.

Of course, Bracero will chew on this loss a bit more. He hurt Paulie right before the bell, he knows, so there will be some “What if?”-fing. However, the wiser move will be to process the errors, work to make sure they aren’t repeated and fight on. Sounds like he is on that track.

 

Post-gig, Michael Woods thought he was on the right track home but it turned out he was on the wrong train. Should’ve just grabbed an Uber, Woodsy!

 

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