CHICAGO-It happens from time to time. Occasionally a boxer can so raise his game that he has the fight of his life against an opponent who by rights should not only be tougher but more gifted. Sometimes this performance goes for naught, simply because it seems such an aberration that judges can't quite believe what their own eyes seeing -- and that, more than anything else, would appear to explain the scorecards of Raul Caiz and David Sutherland down in Houston back in August. Fortunately for Paulie Malignaggi, there was a third judge seated at ringside that night, and before he went to bed Saturday night, if he ever went to bed at all, we trust that Malignaggi got down on his hands and knees and thanked the Almighty for Gale Van Hoy, because if it weren't for him and his 118-110 scorecard, there's no way in the world Paulie would have gotten the chance to do what he did here.

To the surprise of hardly anyone who knew what they were watching during their first meeting, the rematch this past weekend between junior welterweights Paulie Malignaggi 27-3 (5) and Juan Diaz 35-3 (17) turned out to be much more of a re-run than a rematch. When they met four months ago Diaz was awarded a controversial 12-round unanimous decision in his home town of Houston. This time the bout took place in Chicago and there was no disputing the decision rendered by the judges. All three scored the fight 116-111 in favor of Malignaggi, (I had it 116-113 Malignaggi or 7-4-1 in rounds).