Carlos Acevedo previews tonight's junior-welterweight rematch between Paulie Malignaggi and Juan Diaz.

Paulie Malignaggi, who woofed his way into a rematch--and another major payday--against Juan Diaz tonight on neutral turf in Chicago, Illinois, will get his chance to avenge all the "bullshit" shoveled on him last August when he dropped a unanimous decision to Diaz over twelve rounds.

The first bout, justified or not, ended in a conflagration. Texas provided the nitroglycerin; a close fight supplied the fuse, and doddering Gale Van Hoy helpfully offered the match to set off the works. When his scorecard of 118-110 was announced after twelve rounds of competitive boxing, all of cyberspace went up in flames, and Malignaggi, in thick Brooklynese, played ambulance chaser during his postfight interview with Max Kellerman.

Now the duo meet again, less by popular demand than by its ugly stepsister, unpopular demand, but, at the very least, we are guaranteed an entertaining scrap. Unless Diaz, 35-2 (17), can stop Malignaggi, this fight should play out as a carbon copy of the first one. Both fighters lack the versatility to alter their styles. Malignaggi, 26-3 (5), is the quick jab artist without the pop to flatten a galaktoboureko. A pure boxer, Malignaggi possesses speedy fists and a slick defense that allows him to counter and frustrate in equal measure.

Pressure, on the other hand, is what Juan Diaz specializes in, and he is unlikely to abandon his hobby-horse at this point. Big left hooks shook Malignaggi from time to time, but Diaz threw them almost exclusively. This time he might want to try using his jab more often than he did last August in order to keep Malignaggi from throwing nearly 1,000 punches again.

In the first fight, Diaz, 26, was hindered by twin cuts over his left eye and the downpour of blood seemed to obstruct his vision. If Diaz can avoid cuts, not as simple as it sounds in his case, he will be able to work without distraction and might be able to land more often than he did in the first time around.

For his part, Malignaggi, 29, will have to repeat his fine performance and then some to keep his career alive. The first bout was his original "last stand" as a viable contender, but, somehow, like a particularly glib con man, he managed to talk his way out of it. Malignaggi, who circled, jabbed incessantly, and occasionally crossed with his right during the first fight, will be as mobile as ever on Saturday night.

Footwork was the real key for "The Magic Man," who was always a fraction ahead of the pursuing Diaz. In the end, he will have to lead by more than a nose to win this fight. Without significant bodywork, without power, and with nary a left hook, Malignaggi, Brooklyn, New York, might not be able to fool Diaz twice.

There is the real possibility that Malignaggi might have prejudiced the jury, so to speak, with his public sniveling, and that a close bout may swing in his favor this time around, but in all likelihood Diaz will edge out a tight split decision that may or may not leave Malignaggi speechless.

Check out Carlos Acevedo's blog, The Cruelest Sport.