On April 19th, 2014, Shawn Porter defended his IBF Welterweight title after overwhelming and brutally crushing Paulie Malignaggi. This was boxing at its most violent and grizzly.
On paper prior, Porter vs Malignaggi was an intriguing match-up – a battle between an odds-defying slickster and a young pit bull. It looked to be competitive.
For not many bouts aren’t which concern Paulie Malignaggi (33-6, 7 KO), a man who can never be overlooked, and especially in big fights. Despite past losses to marquee names such as Ricky Hatton and Amir Khan, the New Yorker refused to fade into obscurity, and went on to upset tough Ukranian, Vyacheslav Senchenko, to become a two-time world champion.
Strong performances against Zab Judah and Adrien Broner – whom he lost his WBA title to via Split Decision – also showcased his ability to mix it up with today’s top-tier fighters. Not known for his power, it is Malignaggi’s athleticism and busy feet that often surprise his opponents.
Then we had relative newcomer, Shawn Porter (24-0-1, 15 KO), a former Manny Pacquiao sparring partner who had recently become the IBF Champion by dragging refined boxer Devon Alexander into a dog fight. Not the prettiest of affairs, Porter’s dominance, power, and cunning game plan proved absorbing. Eyebrows were raised.
And so the questions arrived. Could a 33-year-old Malignaggi outwit a young gun like Porter, and, use his experience to remain elusive and get his shots off? And conversely, could Porter break Malignaggi’s rhythm, shake him up, and impose his power?
Porter vs Malignaggi: The Fight
When both men faced off in the ring on fight night, the contrasts in shape were astonishing. Porter’s heavily muscled physique was more fitting of a Middleweight than a Welter, and Malignaggi, sporting his leaner build, suddenly seemed to have a mammoth task ahead of him.
It was hard to separate the efforts of either man in the first round. Malignaggi’s feet were dancing to great effect. A hard jab from Porter opened a nasty cut in Malignaggi’s cheek, and the defending titlist also used his stockier frame to muscle his way in close, though no telling blows landed.
A heated toe-to-toe exchange unfolded in the 2nd. Despite the cut, Malignaggi looked to be holding his own, but at the end of the round was tagged by a huge leaping Porter left hook. Malignaggi was stunned and clearly hurt, but survived the round.
Porter smelt blood and was relentless with his attack in the 3rd, bulldozing his way forward. In addition to landing thunderous shots in the center of the ring, Porter worked effectively inside, pushing his opponent back into the ropes. Malignaggi was helpless – simply too weak to push Porter off or even buy precious seconds by tying him up.
Malignaggi returned to his corner, beaten, broken, and out of his depth against a big Welterweight looking for the knockout. Never had Paulie Malignaggi been on the receiving end of such brutality in the ring.
Malignaggi bravely entered the 4th, but was soon greeted by two solid Porter jabs and a right-cross to the temple that sent him to the canvas. He quickly jumped to his feet, more dazed than hurt, but harbored the look of fighter who’d run out of answers. This was the beginning of a devastating defeat.
Porter landed with another leaping left hook, continued to swarm his man, and finally chopped down his defenseless opponent on the ropes. As Malignaggi fell to the floor, his head landing outside the ropes, the referee decided he’d seen enough. (Porter vs Malignaggi Highlights)
Porter vs Malignaggi: Aftermath
In short, Porter vs Malignaggi was a demolition job. Porter dominated thanks not to just his explosive power, but to his speed of foot and boxing ability, both center ring and on the ropes. The scary thing is how easy he made it look.
Some may say he was a young, fresh kid going in against an aging fighter who was a natural Junior Welterweight. Partly true – Malignaggi isn’t a big Welter by any means, and he was never going to trouble Porter with his power. But it’s unfair to say Malignaggi never had any business at 147; he stopped Senchenko, almost upset Broner, and convincingly shut out Judah. As for his age, it hadn’t plagued any of his prior bouts.
Malignaggi was simply beaten by the better man. Which is exactly what he confirmed when interviewed post fight.
Some analysts are comparing Porter’s aggressive, swarming style to that of Mike Tyson. It was a solid, crowd-pleasing win, indeed – the man was a Beast! – but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Perhaps over the course of his next few fights, which are likely to include mandatory challenger, Kell Brook, we will get more of an idea what he is capable of. Brook vs Porter – now that would be a heck of a matchup.
As for Malignaggi, where does he go now? Post fight, he spoke of possible retirement. And if it’s what the man wants, then who in their right mind could begrudge him for it? Malignaggi has been a loyal servant to boxing for a number of years, and would certainly be remembered fondly for his spirit inside the ring – and, more than likely, sporting a number of outlandish hairstyles.
What’s your opinion on Porter vs Malignaggi and the future of both fighters? Let us know below!
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