This past May things were just about as gloomy as they could get for Paulie Malignaggi. Fighting at the WaMu theatre in Madison Square Garden, the brash Brooklyn fighter was resoundingly dominated by Britain?s Amir Khan, who used his speed and sharp punching to overwhelm his older foe. Malignaggi ran out of answers and was halted in the 11th round in a defeat that was so convincing you had to wonder where the ?Magic Man? would go from that point.
While the WBA junior welterweight champion Khan would move forward to an enticing clash with interim titlist Marcos Maidana at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, a wild bout he would win two weekends back, Malignaggi?s future seemed far more uncertain as he readied himself for a move up to 147 pounds. Armed with a new promoter in Golden Boy Promotions, Malignaggi obviously was looking for a new lease on his life but it remained to be seen how he would fair at welterweight seeing as though he was coming off of a bad loss, never a big puncher, and had just turned 30 years old.
On the undercard of Bernard Hopkins? challenge of Jean Pascal?s WBC light heavyweight crown in Quebec, Canada, Malignaggi found himself facing off with former title challenger Michael Lozada, a man known best for losing to the likes of Jorge Teron, Jorge Barrios and the late Edwin Valero. While the non-televised showcase didn?t make many headlines, it was a pivotal bout for the come backing Malignaggi.
By all accounts Malignaggi looked pretty solid as he showed spots of aggression against his 27-year old foe while beating him to the punch consistently before scoring a sixth round stoppage. While the drubbing definitely should be put into perspective, as Lozada is a second-tier level opponent who had fought as low as 130 pounds, it definitely appears to be a fresh start for the New Yorker.
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The latest buzz has Malignaggi possibly meeting up with Matthew Hatton, the brother of former junior welterweight champion Ricky who stopped Paulie two years back at the MGM Grand, and it is definitely a fight that is winnable for Paulie. Hatton?s limited, straight-forward attack is just the type of style that Malignaggi has always feasted on and he would likely put on a clinic. After that he may be in line for a crack at IBF champion Jan Zaveck, so it looks as though Malignaggi isn?t going anywhere anytime soon.
When thinking of the biggest names at 147 the likes of WBC champion Andre Berto, semi-retired Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao all come to mind. Malignaggi knows all of those men well, and has even gone as far as to hint that Pacquiao may be taking illegal substances to enhance his performances, but they simply may bring too much to the table for Malignaggi to be successful.
You may not be a fan of Paulie Malignaggi?s style inside of the ring and you might not care for his personality but you can?t deny the man?s resiliency. He has produced some great boxing displays and lost some heartbreakers and he still wants something more form his career. He?s in a new weight class with a new team behind him and soon all eyes will once again be upon him. Let?s wait and see what he says and more importantly what he does in between the ropes.
