Paulie Malignaggi (33-7, 7 KO’s) suffered his latest defeat to Danny Garcia (31-0, 18 KO’s) last Saturday night and after the fight was asked to consider Garcia’s power alongside the other big punchers he has shared the ring with over the years.
Malignaggi gave a typically dogged performance at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York, but even the hometown support coming his way could not rouse him to victory against the younger, stronger man. He succumbed in the ninth round.
After the event’s end, he was asked to put Garcia’s power into context in a video posted by ESNEWS.
“He’s a good puncher; he’s a solid puncher. Nobody compares to [Miguel]Cotto. I think [Shawn]Porter just caught me cold but he’s a good puncher. [Adrien]Broner didn’t have great power, but he’s got great qualities. Danny’s got solid power.”
So Garcia is in good company when you consider Cotto smashed Malignaggi’s jaw to pieces, and Porter ran through him in four rounds.
This was Garcia’s first fight as a full welterweight and he put in consistent work against an accomplished, slippery veteran; a noteworthy feat after reported weight struggles down in his former domain of 140 lbs.
Malignaggi certainly felt the move up in weight benefited the Philly fighter in helping him maintain a decent whack even as the rounds wore on.
“You know what impressed me about Danny? He kept that power late into the fight, which maybe at 140 lbs. he might have not. The shot that he hurt me with the most is when he bust my eardrum in the ninth round right before they stopped it.”
When the eardrum goes, it takes equilibrium with it, and a Malignaggi without balance is no Malignaggi at all.
This was the Brooklynite’s third defeat in his last four outings and soon after, he stated his future probably lies behind the commentary table, continuing the fine work he has put in there over the last year or so.
For Garcia, a pack of welterweights are lying in ambush for him; more eager, younger and stronger than the man he chose for his first foray into the territory.
He brings with him the reputation of a king from a lower weight class and a lucrative name to go with it. He will need the ‘solid power’ Malignaggi credited him with if he is to tangle with the likes of WBA champ Keith Thurman, IBF champ Kell Brook, Shawn Porter or even former foe Amir Khan. Wicked encounters will soon come.
