PAULIE MALIGNAGGI has sensationally claimed that Deontay Wilder once tried to get him sacked from his job as a TV pundit.
The former world champion famously criticised the Bronze Bomber's performance in his first fight with Tyson Fury.
The two fought to a controversial split decision draw back in December 2018, with Wilder's late knockdowns sparing him from defeat despite being dominated during most of the bout.
However, Fury went on to thrash the Bronze Bomber in the rematch, twice flooring him as he won the WBC heavyweight title in Las Vegas.
Wilder has since come out with a slew of excuses for his defeat, including blaming his heavy costume, and Malignaggi believes his team contains too many "yes-men."
He told the Ak and Barak show on Sirius XM: “This is what I think Deontay has had a problem with in the last couple of years: Nobody around him is honest anymore in my opinion.
“Because when you say certain things publicly, you’ve already said them in your circle.
“You don’t just randomly say stuff publicly that you have not said in your circle, even in passing.
“So starting from the first Fury fight, somebody better have been like, ‘You didn’t win that fight. We got away with it.’
“Just run with it and say, ‘I’m gonna make this even better next time, I’ve got the knockdowns.’
Don’t go saying like people are out of their minds for thinking that you lose the first fight when you got outclassed in the first fight
“Say you even feel like the result wasn’t a robbery, but don’t go saying like people are out of their minds for thinking that you lose the first fight when you got outclassed in the first fight.
“That was my whole issue with this whole thing. He tried to get me fired from Showtime and all this other stuff. He was trying to have me and [Steve] Farhood removed.
“I don’t have an issue with you being competitive and you even not liking the criticism. But you have to also be able to understand the difference between constructive criticism and hating criticism…
“Now, you fast forward to after this fight, again, it’s just like the first fight where you say you got robbed and everybody’s cheering you on, ‘You got robbed.’
“Now you’re saying after this fight, ’That thing was heavy, that outfit was heavy.’
“Not one of your team has the balls to say [the truth]. I always had my best friend.
“He was always real. He would be like, ‘Bro, shut the F up. What are you saying right now?’
“And as a best friend you’re not going to throw him out of your circle just for being honest.
“You always need that real guy, at least one real guy. Because if everybody’s just agreeing with you – a bunch of yes-men- you start to lose track of reality.
“And I feel like Deontay putting out that excuse is just another sign to say there’s too man yes-men around this guy.”
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