Sam Eggington gets the biggest opportunity of his career when he defends his WBC international welterweight title against former welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi.

Eggington won the minor title by knocking out countryman Frankie Gavin in October of 2016 in the biggest victory of his career. Now he gets to defend it for the first time in the undercard of Haye vs Bellew on March 4th,  2017 at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London.

Promising Fighter Against Decorated Veteran

The 23-year old Eggington is one of the more promising fighters coming from the UK. He’s won two fights in a row, both by KO, since suffering his third career defeat at the hands of Bradley Skeete. That defeat has been Eggington’s lone loss in his last 11 fights. Eight of his last nine victories have been by knockout and his stoppage of Gavin was just the highlight.

After losing back to back fights to Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia, Malignaggi has won three fights in a row against lesser quality opposition. He won the European Union welterweight title in 2015 and is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision win over Gabriel Bracero in 2016. That bout was his lone bout of 2016. Malignaggi will be fighting in the UK for only the third time in his career. But being a decorated veteran, fighting in hostile territory won’t be a problem.

The Odds

The odds for this bout are close. Eggington is the favorite at -200 but Malignaggi isn’t too far behind at +162. Ellington is an aggressive fighter who has legit power in his fists. He knows how to kill his prey once he smells blood. Defensively, he’s got a proven chin and good defense. However, he’s not fought someone in the caliber of a Paulie Malignaggi.

Malignaggi is a former two division world champion but at age 36, he is a far cry from the boxer who accomplished that feat. At his best, he was a crafty boxer who had solid defensive skills and fast hands that allowed him to make excellent counters. The Magic Man has fought some of the biggest names in the sport and will not be shy of the moment.

Malignaggi is used to fighting in the bright lights but going to the home turf of a young and hungry lion might not be the best idea for an aging fighter who’s lost a step or two. He’s boxed almost thrice as many rounds as Eggington has but he’s not been as active as his opponent lately.

Facing Father Time

Malignaggi’s been knocked out twice in his last five bouts and both against younger and stronger opponents. He’s not only fighting Eggington on March 4th. He will also be facing father time. Nobody has beaten that mythical opponent, neither will Malignaggi. Expect some moments of brilliance from the Magic Man. But in the long run, the younger man will take this fight in his home country. We’re picking Sam Eggington to defeat Paulie Malignaggi.