By Dave Lahr: Golden Boy Promotions has just signed former IBF light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi (27-4, 5 KO’s) to a contract and don’t have a clue why. This kind of reminds me of how Top Rank decided to match Antonio Margarito, a fighter on the decline, with Manny Pacquiao. It would have been a great idea two years ago but it’s horrible now that Margarito is looking bad. Malignaggi has lost three out of his last five bouts and you can make an argument that Malignaggi should have lost five out of his last seven bouts, because his wins over Lovemore N’dou and Herman Ngoudjo were fights that could have gone either way.

I had Malignaggi losing both of those fights. In Malignaggi’s 8 round decision win over Christopher Fernandez last year in April, Malignaggi was badly staggered in the 8th and was lucky he wasn’t knocked out. I don’t see what Golden Boy gains in signing Malignaggi, because he’s not a factor in the light welterweight division anymore now that it’s improved in the past couple of years. Malignaggi plans on fighting as a welterweight, and that’s even worse. Malignaggi is far too weak to do anything in that weight class, other than get knocked out again.

If guys like Ricky Hatton and Amir Khan can stop Malignaggi, then I think a good portion of the top welterweights will be able to do the same with him. There obviously going to match him selectively against guys they think he can beat and then eventually put him in with one of the champions, who are in need of a named opponent. I guess he would be like a toothless lion facing a young lion and will get ripped to shreds.

Instead of going up in weight, I think Malignaggi needs to move down in weight two divisions to the lightweight division, where he might be able to dominate some of the smaller guys. I don’t even see Malignaggi doing anything down there, but at least he won’t be at such a power disadvantage like he will be win he starts fighting at welterweight. I think this is a bad decision for Golden Boy to sign Malginaggi. It’s too late in his career and he will need to be matched ultra carefully to keep him from getting thrashed again. If the guy doesn’t have the tools to fight in the welterweight division, then what’s the point? I think Malignaggi really needs to retire already. Unless he can move down to lightweight, he can’t compete at light welterweight and he surely won’t be able to compete at welterweight. I see the guy ending up as fodder for the top welterweights, and I don’t even think he can beat the bottom 15 fighters. They’re probably going to have to match him up against 2nd tier welterweights if they want to keep Malignaggi winning.