Golden Boy Promotions just added a little more magic to its already stellar lineup of fighters as the company announced today that an agreement has been reached to promote former World Champion Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi. Malignaggi, who will begin his assault on the welterweight division under the Golden Boy banner, will also serve as one of the company’s “ambassadors” to New York, assisting in the promotion of events in his hometown in conjunction with Golden Boy’s recently announced deal with The Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
“We are very excited to add Paulie to our roster of fighters,” said Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar de la Hoya. “We have worked with him on numerous fights and his flashy style is exciting to watch both in and out of the ring. We have big plans in store for him and are thrilled that he is in our corner.”
“This is the best career move I’ve made and I’m thankful to Golden Boy Promotions for giving me this opportunity,” said Malignaggi. “I know they can give me the biggest and best fights out there and that’s what I want at this point in my career. I also want to thank my attorney Steve Bash and my manager Anthony Catanzaro for working so hard to make deal happen.”
While Brooklyn native Malignaggi (27-4, 5 KO’s) has become well known for his ability to out-talk his opponents outside the ring, he has also proven that he can back up his talk inside the ring with his stiff jab, lightning-quick speed and stellar defense. He has challenged and gone toe-to-toe with some of the best in the business, earning him respect around the boxing world.
Malignaggi first won a world title in 2007 when he defeated Lovemore N’dou for the IBF Junior Welterweight crown and followed that up by facing some of the biggest names in boxing including former World Champions Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz (twice) and Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton as well as current WBA Super Lightweight World Champion Amir Khan. As he begins a new quest for a world championship, Malignaggi will campaign at a new weight class, 147 pounds, where he feels he will be more comfortable and effective.
“This is the start of a new stage of my career,” Malignaggi continued. “A new promoter, a new weight class and a new opportunity to face the best, beat the best and win a world championship.”
A date, site and opponent for Malignaggi’s first fight with Golden Boy Promotions will be announced soon.