By Jason Kim: Former IBF light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi (30-4, 6 KO’s) just revealed moments ago that contracts are almost complete between him and WBA World welterweight champion Vyacheslav Senchenko (32-0, 21 KO’s) for a fight that will be taking place on April 29th in Ukraine.
Malignaggi said this on his twitter today: “The contracts are almost done for the fight against SENCHENKO in April. Once again I am going into enemy territory but that’s life. Gotta do what you gotta do.”
Malignaggi, 31, had previously rejected an offer made to him due to the money being to his liking. He was prepared to go in another direction rather than having to travel all the way to Ukraine to fight Senchenko in his home country for money that Malignaggi didn’t feel was worth it. Malignaggi wanted $500,000 for the fight, but will get far less than that in the neighborhood of $250,000 to $300,000.
Another one of Malignaggi’s gripes was that he wasn’t getting flown 1st class to Ukraine and instead would have to sit in coach with cramped seating for a long 10 hour flight. It’s unclear whether Senchenko’s promoter gave on that issue or on the money that Malignaggi wanted, perhaps both.
Malignaggi was disappointed after his promoters Golden Boy lost the purse bid to Senchenko’s promoters, which meant that Malignaggi would have to fly over to Ukraine rather than be able to fight in the United States where Malignaggi was hoping the fight would take place in order to get some television time.
After the Malignaggi-Senchenko negotiations briefly fell through, Maignaggi attempted without success to get a fight against former two division world champion Robert Guerrero, but he had no luck in landing that fight. Had Malignaggi been able to get that fight put together, it would have been placed on the undercard of the May 5th Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Miguel Cotto card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Malignaggi has won three consecutive fights at welterweight after having moved up from the 140 pound division in December 2010. Malignaggi has found some success at this weight, albeit against 2nd tier opposition. The WBA hasn’t cared that Malignaggi hasn’t fought anyone of quality at 147 and has ranked him at #2 in the division. It’s a high ranking done mainly one the success that Malignaggi had years ago at 140 rather than anything he’s done lately.
Malignaggi held the International Boxing Federation light welterweight title from June 2007 to November 2008, defending it twice in beating Herman Ngoudjo and Lovemore N’dou in two close 12 round decisions. Malignaggi lost his IBF title to Ricky Hatton by an 11th round TKO defeat on November 22nd 2008. After that loss, Malignaggi was later beaten by Juan Diaz by a controversial 12 round decision but then turned around and beat Diaz in a rematch in December 2009 by a 12 round unanimous decision. However, Malignaggi was soundly beaten by Amir Khan in his next fight in May 2010, losing by an 11th round TKO. Following that loss, Malignagi moved up in weight to the welterweight division.
Malignaggi will likely have a lot of problems with the 5’10” Senchenko because he’s got an excellent jab and fairly decent power. He’s bigger than Malignaggi and a much better technically skilled fighter, who likely won’t buy into all of Malignaggi’s feints and other sorts of trickery that he likes to use in the ring.
Senchenko’s reach is long and he’ll give Malignaggi a lot of problems with his constant jab to the face. He’s a lot more disciplined than many of the guys that Malignaggi has fought during his career and that’s going to give Malignaggi issues, as he seems to do better against fighters that try to slug it out.
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