By Bill "Two Scoops" Emes

Adrien Broner became a world champion at a third different weight after a split-decision victory over Paulie Malignaggi in New York handed him the WBA welterweight title. Two judges scored the bout 117-111 and 115-113 in favor of the unbeaten 23-year-old, with the other handing Malignaggi a 115-113 win.

The verdict saw Broner, who has also held the WBC world title at lightweight and WBO strap at super-featherweight, take home the gold after stepping up two weight divisions for the contest. Malignaggi battled gamely at Barclays Center but was ultimately outworked by his 23-year-old opponent.

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said some people were not that happy with from Broner's performance because Malignaggi performed much better than expected.

"Paulie came into this fight as an 11-1 underdog and I think people expected that fight to play out as an 11-1 underdog kind of fight. Paulie came to fight with a lot of heart and he wouldn't go. I think Adrien's punches, and Bernard Hopkins summed it up very well, were the more affective punches. He was able to control the fight and persuade the judges that it was going his way. Most experts at ringside and I don't consider myself one of them, had it 117-111 for Adrien Broner. So I really don't think that we should cry that people didn't get this or there was some injustice. I think Paulie can walk out of the Barclays Center with his head held high because he came to fight," Schaefer said.