Former Junior Welterweight World Champion Paulie "Magic Man" Malignaggi will step back onto the big stage against Puerto Rico's Jose Miguel Cotto in a 10-round welterweight fight on Saturday, April 9, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on the "Action Heroes" HBO Pay-Per-View event.
"We promised to deliver the best fights for the April 9 pay-per-view and we are continuing to do that with the addition of the always-flashy and exciting Paulie Malignaggi against the experienced Jose Miguel Cotto," said Oscar de la Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions. "It is going to be a clash of a boxer versus a puncher, plus Paulie is looking to avenge his loss to Jose Miguel's older brother, Miguel Cotto, in a fight you won't want to miss."
Flashy in and out of the ring and blessed with the heart of a lion, Brooklyn's Paulie Malignaggi (28-4, 6 KO's) has regrouped and now, fighting at welterweight, the "Magic Man" is in top-notch form as he pursues a world title in a second weight class. Coming off of a sixth round technical knockout win over Michael Lozada in December, the 30-year-old Malignaggi can't wait to show off more of his new tricks on April 9 against the brother of the man - Miguel Cotto - who handed him his first professional loss.
"I'm very excited to be on this great card that is generating a lot of buzz," said Malignaggi. "I think fighting Cotto is a good test and an important next step at this point in my career as I climb back to the top of the sport. His brother Miguel is the best fighter I have fought in my career, so I know when fighting a 'Cotto' I have to be prepared. I'm excited for the challenge and the chance to keep proving 'naysayers' wrong."
A 14-year veteran who can do it all in the ring, Caguas' Jose Miguel Cotto (32-2-1, 24 KO's) represents Puerto Rico with heart and pride every time he steps through the ropes. A longtime lightweight contender who has continued to find success as he has moved up in weight, the 33-year old Cotto has won four of his last five fights. His most recent fight was a fourth round technical knockout win over Christopher Henry in November. He returns to Las Vegas for the first time in nearly a year and expects a win against Malignaggi.
"This is going to be a great fight," said Cotto. "I've been in the gym training my hardest and I feel ready. Having a big win over Malignaggi will move me closer to a title opportunity. I will not let this one go by."
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"Action Heroes," featuring Morales vs. Maidana in a 12-round junior welterweight bout and Guerrero vs. Katsidis in a 12-round lightweight battle is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Erik Morales' Box Latino and Universum Box Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, AT&T, DeWalt Tools and Tres Generaciones Tequila. Guerrero vs. Katsidis is presented in association with Sampson Boxing. The bouts will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Tickets for "Action Heroes" priced at $350, $250, $150, $75, $50 and $25 are on sale now and available to charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
A stacked slate of undercard bouts, including the rest of the HBO Pay-Per-View broadcast, will be announced at a later date. For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @boxlatino, @terrible100, @ChinoMaidana, @TeamGuerrero, @MickKatsidis, @PaulMalignaggi or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing.Follow HBO Boxing newsat www.hbo.com/boxing,Facebook at www.facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter www.twitter.com/hboboxing.
The Morales vs. Maidana pay-per-view telecast, which begins at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $44.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Morales vs. Maidana fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.