On the latest episode of ‘BoxingScene Today,' host Jimmy Smith and former titleholders Paulie Malignaggi and Chris Algieri discussed Ramon Cardenas’ May 4 summit with pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue.

Cardenas, 26-1 (14 KOs), is an enormous underdog against Inoue, but he refuses to yield his self-belief.

Smith began by asking Algieri and Malignaggi if a fighter who suddenly lands a world title shot can feel overawed, doubting that they truly belong at elite level and simply being happy to be on the stage.

“You can say all the right things, but we’ll see what happens when we get in the ring,” Algieri said. Case in point: Cardenas taking on Brian Acosta in February on ProBox TV, when he dispatched an undefeated fighter who could have jeopardized Cardenas’ lofty spot in the organizational rankings. Cardenas accepted the challenge and won a close unanimous decision – and Algieri believes that same bravery could serve him well against Inoue.

“At the very least, he’s been hardened by the tough fights that he’s had on our air,” Algieri said.

Although Malignaggi, a veteran of a Madison Square Garden war with Miguel Cotto, understands that a big-fight atmosphere is impossible to simulate until a fighter is in it, he pointed to Cardenas’ previous ability to overcome adversity as a good sign. Cardenas has fought through being knocked down and breaking his hand midfight, among other challenges.

“With Cardenas, nothing else has been shown to me than that he has a warrior mentality,” Malignaggi said.

“He wants more than just to be here. He wants to be in the club – he doesn’t want to visit the club.”

Such is the poison of the spotlight, Algieri said, that even if the fighter is entirely focused on the task at hand, members of their team can grow complacent in training. “I had sessions where my coaches were not showing up prepared,” he said of his camp ahead of his mega-fight with Manny Pacquiao. “They weren’t alive the way they needed to be, or locked in the way that I was.”

It’s just as well, the hosts said, that Cardenas’ experienced trainer, Joel Diaz, has felt the pull of the blockbuster before and should be prepared.

Malignaggi summed up the underdog’s peril most succinctly: “You may get stopped if you try to win. But if you go happy to be here and just dance around, you can save face and not get stopped.”

Inoue’s power intensifies that calculus. Even those who fight him in a negative style, like Paul Butler, find themselves a crumpled heap on the canvas.

“I think Cardenas will go to win – I think Cardenas will go out on his shield,” Malignaggi affirmed, even conceding that it is hard to pick him to win the fight against the great Inoue.

“Ultimately, it’s a choice,” Algieri said on whether a fighter stands to fight and risks embarrassment or circles the ring solely in the hopes of surviving.

“If you’re Ramon Cardenas, you’ve got to establish yourself early in that fight. You’ve got to show Inoue, ‘OK, you’ve got all knockout wins. You’re a great fighter. But I didn’t come here to bow down to you and appease you. I’m here to fight you. Let’s throw hands, and let’s do it.’”

ProBox TV owns BoxingScene and has featured Ramon Cardenas fights in the past.

Owen Lewis is a former intern at Defector media and writes and edits for BoxingScene. His beats are tennis, boxing, books, travel and anything else that satisfies his meager attention span. He is on