By Jason Kim: Former IBF light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi (30-4, 6 KO’s) is getting a title shot against WBA World welterweight champion Vyacheslav Sencehnko (32-0, 21 KO’s) on April 29th that Malignaggi arguably doesn’t deserve given his lack of quality opposition since the last time he fought for a world title in 2010 and was easily beaten by WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan.

Malignaggi moved up in weight and beat three 2nd tier fighters to get a #2 ranking by the World Boxing Association, ranking him above Kell Brook, Thomas Dulorme and Devon Alexander, three fighters that would likely make short work of the light hitting Malignaggi. The thing is when fighters get shots they’re not ready for or don’t deserve, they generally do really badly because they should have been weeded out by the better contenders long before they even get a title shot. Malignaggi hasn’t had to fight anyone good to get ranked high by the WBA and get another title shot. He’ll likely get easily beaten by Senchenko unless Malignaggi has improved since the last time he fought a quality fighter in 2010.

Senchenko, if nothing else, has a great jab, and he’ll use it expertly to puff up and dominate Malignaggi on April 29th. If Malignaggi had some power to fall back on, he’d be able to get past the jabs of Senchenko enough to hurt him and possibly get a stoppage. Unfortunately, Malignaggi can’t punch at all and will have to try and win by dashing forward and trying to land a few punches and then running a way before he gets hit with something big from Senchenko.

Malignaggi does have a big advantage in terms of experience against quality fighters despite Senchenko having more overall fights compared to him. Unfortunately the majority of Senchenko’s opponents have been weak 2nd tier opposition that has given him no problems. Even in winning and defending his World Boxing Association title, Senchenko has had it very easy with nothing but soft opposition. Senchenko won the title against Yuriy Nuzhnenko, who isn’t exactly the most dangerous of the welterweights. He’s the guy that Matthew Hatton recently beat. In defending the WBA belt, Senchenko had taken it easy facing obscure opposition such as Motoki Sasaki, Charlie Jose Navarro
and Marco Antonio Avendano. That kind of tells you that either Senchenko or his management aren’t in a big hurry to put him in against any of the quality contenders that the WBA has ranked.