Malignaggi interested in Kell Brook fight

By Boxing News - 01/03/2015 - Comments

malignaggi133By Scott Gilfoid: Former two division belt holder Paulie Malignaggi (33-6, 7 KOs) says he’s interested in facing IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook (33-0, 22 KOs) for his IBF strap. Malignaggi, 34, has been out of the ring for the past nine months since getting stopped in the 4th round by Shawn Porter last April.

It was a brutal beating that Malignaggi suffered in that fight, and it was thought by some boxing fans that he would retire rather than carry on. However, it now looks like Malignaggi is interested in fighting for another world title. Whether or not Brook is interested in giving him a shot is the big question.

The International Boxing Federation would have to give Brook the green light to take the fight, because Malignaggi is no longer ranked in the top 15 due to his inactivity. Malignaggi has lost two out of his last three fights in defeats to Porter and Adrien Broner.

“Kell Brook has a world title so he interests any top welterweight. Who wouldn’t fancy a chance to win a world title?” Malignaggi said via the Dailymail.co.uk. “An opportunity to win a world title is one I don’t think anyone would turn down.”

Malignaggi looked god awful in his last fight, and I don’t know how a Brook-Malignaggi fight could be sanctioned by the IBF without Malignaggi at least beating one scrub or two in order to get ranked in the top 15. I mean, I don’t expect Malignaggi to be put in with a live body because it would be too dangerous for him due to his lack of power. But I still think he should at least get a couple of fights under his belt so that he’s technically a contender instead of just some guy who has been sitting on the sidelines since last April.

Giving Malignaggi a title fight right now would send the wrong message to a lot of boxers.

Malignaggi would be a safe fight for Brook against a notable opponent that casual boxing fans in the United States are aware of. I got the general impression from listening to Brook’s promoter Eddie Hearn talk that he’s not exactly interested in matching Brook against a dangerous fighter for his next fight in 2015. As such, Hearn will likely jump at the chance of matching Brook against Malignaggi, because it gives Brook the best of both worlds. Not only is he getting a fighter with a name that U.S boxing fans are familiar with, but it also gives Brook a guy who is no threat to beating him.

In the best possible world, Malignaggi would have to earn his way to a world title shot rather than getting rewarded for his inactivity and his loss to Porter, but that’s not how boxing works. Fighters frequently get selected for fights based on their name recognition rather than how they’re fighting now. So you end up with a lot of past their prime fighters getting fights that they arguably don’t deserve. The IBF likely won’t mind letting Malignaggi fight for a world title, even though he’s now lost 2 out of his last 3 fights.



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