By Edward Chaykovsky
Former two-division champion Paulie Malignaggi is picking his former foe, WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (39-4, 32 KO’s) is easily eliminate former three time champion Daniel Geale (31-3, 16 KO’s) later tonight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in a twelve round fight that will be televised live on HBO.
Malignaggi suffered his first career loss to Cotto in 2007, when both of them were junior welterweights.
If Cotto pulls though tonight, he is expected to face Mexican superstar Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in the fall.
Geale is a 4-1 underdog in some betting circles. The catch-weight of 157-pounds was a big topic for most of the fight week, after Geale weighed in at 167.5-pounds a week ago. He was able to make weight on Friday, but some wonder if the Australian fighter will be a dead man walking after draining out 10.5-pounds in less than a week.
"I think it's pretty much a tuneup for Miguel to get in the ring with Canelo later in the year. Geale is not bad, but he's not at that level. The matchup doesn't really excite me I'll be honest with you. It doesn't really do anything for me," Malignaggi told krikya360.com/Be Real TV.
"I don't think Geale has much of a chance, but he does come to work hard and he does come to grind, and maybe the natural size advantage and grinding mentality may trouble Cotto in spots. I can't really get excited about the matchup at all. But who knows, maybe Geale will surprise us all. But I really think its warmup to get in the ring with Canelo later in the year and to see how good he looks in beating Geale."