Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi Heads Back to NY

Malignaggi, Wohlman & Bash sounds like a law firm, doesn’t it?

Well, you’re one third right.

This trio is made up of two professional prizefighters in Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi and Zachary “Kid Yamaka” Wohlman and one attorney (and boxing promoter) in Steve Bash.

I caught up with Team Bash last night at the special premiere of “League of Champions,” a new fight promotion helmed by George Karambelas and Simon Herrera held at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in downtown L.A.

All three men have exciting plans in the works: Malignaggi (30-4, 6 KOs) fights Vyacheslav Senchenko April 29 in Ukraine for the WBA Welterweight Championship; new pro Wohlman (2-0) laces up March 31 at the Warner Center Marriott; and lawyer/fight promoter Bash is readying for Art of Boxing and Bash Boxing’s “Saturday Boxing Fever” March 31 event in Woodland Hills.

Catching up with the guys, it quickly becomes clear that they have a great camaraderie between them, an easy rapport with lots of humor infused. Bash is Zac’s manager and Paulie’s attorney; the two boxers are stablemates out of the famed Wild Card Boxing Club and have become good friends as well as sparring partners. The pals plan on having a busy year. Wohlman just got his second pro victory on January 21 and will soon be traveling to train with Malignaggi for a couple of weeks.

Malignaggi is one of the sport’s most colorful and fun characters, known to show up at weigh-ins and press conferences in masks and costumes. Paulie, a noted and loyal Brooklyn transplant, said he’ll be heading back to New York for training camp before flying to the Ukraine for his upcoming clash with Senchenko. “I’ll also be stopping in Milan to get accustomed to the time change and everything,” he explained. The Italian pug is on a three-fight win streak after his loss to Amir Khan.

On this night, the boxer was decked out in a New York Rangers hockey sweater. I chatted with him about his affinity for N.Y. teams, including the Knicks. “Do you have ‘Linsanity’?” I asked him. “Oh yeah, for sure!” Paulie says of his appreciation for upstart NBA sensation Jeremy Lin. The New Yorker also commented that he enjoys living in L.A. and that both coasts offer their own pros and cons.

His buddy, Wohlman, complements Malignaggi’s East Coast energy. Zac offered a more West Coast vibe wearing a basic white T, cotton plaid shirt and a Star of David pendant.

The Jewish fighter told me he’s looking forward to his upcoming match and getting a third victory on his pro ledger. Zac will be featured on Steve Bash’s popular “War at Woodland Hills” series–but this time it will be a ’70s-themed live boxing show–also showcasing “Disco Fever!”

“It’s gonna be a great night for the fans,” his manager Bash nods. “Boxing, hit songs from the ’70s, disco ball, the ring card girls will be wearing ’70s-style outfits, and a whole lot more will be going on!” Steve and co-promoter and former champ Kahren Harutyunyan have become known for these action-packed shows in Woodland Hills. Bash is a well-regarded manager, attorney and promoter who works with many fighters, including Malignaggi, Wohlman, and Ray Beltran, among others. Now he’s guiding the career of former amateur boxer, the “Kid Yamaka” Wohlman.

His young charge says sparring has been going well for his March 31 contest; Zachary also comments that he looks forward to training back east with Paulie.

Check out these exclusive photos of the “Bash Bros” at Thursday’s “League of Champions” premiere as fans and theatre goers came by to greet the punching pair and promoter.

And be sure to catch Malignaggi in action April 29 and Wolhman at the end of this month!

Photos by Michele Chong