Danny "Swift" Garcia, the WBC and WBA junior welterweight champion, has found an opponent for an August 1 date on the PBC on ESPN. However fans frustrated with Garcia's recent matchmaking may not be thrilled with his pick.
Per ESPN, Garcia is expected to fight in a third straight non-title fight-this time it will be against former junior welterweight and former welterweight titleholder Paulie Malignaggi, who has not fought since April 2014 when he was knocked out by Shawn Porter in an IBF welterweight title fight.
Malignaggi was scheduled to fight on last week's Amir Khan vs. Chris Algieri card, but he pulled out of a bout vs. Danny O'Connor because of a cut he suffered during training. Garcia represents a significant step up in quality from O'Connor.
Malignaggi, 36, is a loser of two of his last three fights and he only has seven knockouts on his resume, so the choice of opponent is bizarre for a lineal champion whose titles haven't been on the line in either of his last two fights, both of which were contested at catch weights above the junior welterweight limit. Garcia has spoken openly of eventually moving up to welterweight, but has progressed toward that at a glacial pace while holding the belts hostage.
At 140 pounds there are matchups the boxing public is hungry for. Lucas Matthysse has regained momentum and has called for Garcia on a number of occasions. Undefeated Viktor Postol was given mandatory challenger status by the WBC, and Terence Crawford is a rising star in the division. Garcia could also have fought Adrien Broner, who is scheduled to fight Porter on June 11.
The August 1 card is expected to be held at Brooklyn's Barclays Center; Malignaggi hails from Brooklyn, and fellow Brooklynite Daniel Jacobs is expected to co-feature.
[ESPN]
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