Two-division world champion Paulie Malignaggi has declared one 135lber as the best lightweight in the world, stating that there is nobody currently capable of beating him.
Frank Martin was expected to take on Shakur Stevenson back in November, but shockingly pulled out of the fight, allowing Edwin De Los Santos to take his place for what proved to be an uneventful affair, but a successful one for Stevenson nonetheless.
Since then, Stevenson has faced criticism for being a ‘boring’ fighter, with his fighting style appearing to limit his opportunities for unification bouts or clashes against the biggest names in the division, frustrating him to the point where he announced his retirement.
Meanwhile, Martin moved on and secured a clash with Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis for the WBA lightweight title and Malignaggi applauded what he believes to be a brilliant business decision, whilst hailing the skills of Stevenson in an interview with Tha Boxing Voice.
“He turned down the Shakur Stevenson fight, which he probably would have lost and now he is in a big, big headliner against Tank Davis. He’s probably getting paid more and I think that he is in a more winnable fight. It worked out for him.
“There was no way that he was going to beat Shakur Stevenson, nobody is beating Shakur Stevenson, I can tell you that right now, You can hate on Shakur Stevenson all you want, nobody around that area is beating him.”
Malignaggi will get some more clarity on his views when Davis-Martin is expected to take place on June 15th, topping a top class bill that features the likes of David Benavidez and David Morrell.