Joshua vs Whyte: Paulie Malignaggi picks up wide points win
Malignaggi's shot at European title falls through, but he'll still fight
- Dan RafaelESPN Senior Writer
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Paulie Malignaggi’s dream to fight for the European title was dashed this week when just days after his shot at European Boxing Union welterweight champion Gianluca Branco was announced, it was canceled.
The reason was because Branco, who agreed to the fight but had not yet signed the contract, pulled out. They were supposed to meet Saturday at the O2 Arena in London on the Anthony Joshua-Dillian Whyte undercard.
Although the fight with Branco is off, 35-year-old Malignaggi (34-7, 7 KOs), a former welterweight and junior welterweight world titleholder, will remain on the card, Matchroom Boxing announced Wednesday.
Rather than fight for the European title -- which Brooklyn, New York, native Malignaggi is eligible for because he is a dual American and Italian citizen -- he will instead face Antonio Moscatiello (20-2-1, 14 KOs), 33, of Italy. They'll fight for the vacant European Union welterweight title -- a lesser belt -- not the official EBU title, the one that has so much history behind it.
Malignaggi, although disappointed not to get a shot at the main European title, is still happy to get a shot at a belt and to be fighting on such a big show.
“Fighting for a European title has always been on my boxing bucket list. I felt that this is the right time in my career and Antonio is also an Italian fighter, so that's an added bonus,” Malignaggi said. “The U.K. fans have always been so supportive towards me, and I am looking forward to boxing (in England). The fans are so passionate, vocal, loud, and the atmosphere is going to be electric. I've been to fights all over the world and you don't get the party atmosphere you get here anywhere else and they are genuine boxing fans.”
Matchroom Boxing also announced other changes to the card too. Commonwealth featherweight champion Josh Warrington (22-0, 4 KOs) is off due to a virus and former heavyweight world title challenger Dereck Chisora was added.
Chisora (23-5, 15 KO), 31, of England, who recently signed with German promoter Team Sauerland, will be fighting for the second time in two weeks. He had his first fight for Team Sauerland last Saturday in Germany and scored a fifth-round knockout against Peter Erdos, and will return in short order because Team Sauerland and Matchroom Boxing worked things out for him to be on the show. He does not have an opponent yet for his eight-round bout.
