Malignaggi announces retirement

By Boxing News - 03/06/2017 - Comments

Image: Malignaggi announces retirement

By Jim Dower: Former two division world champion Paulie Malignaggi (36-8, 7 KOs) has officially announced his retirement following a disappointing 8th round knockout loss to WBC International welterweight champion Sam Eggington (20-3, 12 KOs) last Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London, England. Losing to a non-world class fighter had to have been a pretty bitter pill for the 36-year-old Malignaggi to swallow.

The news of Malignaggi’s retirement from boxing is somewhat late, as he probably should have retired two years ago following his 9th round TKO loss to Danny Garcia on August 1, 2015. At least that was a world class Eggington is a domestic level guy, who Malignaggi came close to knocking out in the 6th round.

Malignaggi ends his career with 4 defeats in his last 8 fights. Malignaggi did win 3 out of his last 4 fights. but the wins were against little known fighters.

Malignaggi fought a lot of top fighters during his 16-year pro boxing career. Malignaggi fought the following guys: Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Danny Garcia, Amir Khan, Shawn Porter, Zab Judah, Adien Broner, Juan Diaz, Jose Miguel Cotto, Vyacheslav Senchenko, Pablo Cesar Cano, Edner Cherry, Lovemore Ndou, and Herman Ngoudjo. Malignaggi impressed a lot of people with his gutsy performance in losing to a young Miguel Cotto in June 2006. Malignaggi lost the fight by a 12 round unanimous decision, but he stood in there and made it a tough fight. A lot of boxers would have quit if they had been in the same shoes as Malignaggi, but he stayed tough and didn’t give up.

The best wins of Malignaggi’s career came against Ngoudjo, Juan Diaz and Senchenko. Malignaggi was arguably robbed in his 12 round split decision loss to Adrien Broner in June 2013. Malignaggi appeared to win that fight in the eyes of a lot of boxing fans. Malignaggi also lost a questionable 12 round unanimous decision to Juan Diaz in their first fight in August 2009.

Malignaggi has a good career as a commentator for boxing Sky Sports and Showtime. Malignaggi has a great job, and he seems to have a real knack for it.

It’s surprising that Malignaggi was able to last as long as he did with his boxing career, because many fans believed that he was a finished fighter after he was stopped in the 11th round by Amir Khan in 2010. Malignaggi then reinvented himself in moving up to 147 and winning his next 5 fights. He captured the WBA World welterweight title in 2012 in beating Senchenko by a 9th round knockout.