JoelTV,
I had a similar screwup. The paint wasn't adhering to the waxy sonotube coating so I decided to start peeling the wax. Wrong move! Now it soaks up paint like a sponge. I decided to just go with black speaker enclosure carpet from parts express and use the 3m adhesive to put it on.
Screw up and learn, that's what DIY is all about
Frank