Saturday, August 1, 2015, Premier Boxing Champions returns with its second PBC on ESPN event featuring Danny “Swift” Garcia taking on Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi and Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs defending his middleweight world title against Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora.
The fights will take place live from Barclays Center at 9:00 p.m., EST/6:00 p.m., PST.
The main event will feature the undefeated Garcia in his first bout at 147-pounds. The Philly fighter is coming off of a controversial victory over Lamont Peterson and looks to make an impressive entry into the Welterweight division against the hometown fighter, Malignaggi.
Jacobs defends his title against the awkward Mora with a possible fight against Peter Quillin hanging in the balance.
Read on for Round By Round Boxing’s staff predictions for Daniel Jacobs vs. Sergio Mora and Danny Garcia vs. Paul Malignaggi and let us know who you think will win.
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Daniel Jacobs
vs.
Sergio Mora
Photo courtesy of Premier Boxing Champions
Lou Catalano, Senior Writer
If anybody is still awake to watch Danny Garcia vs. Paul Malignaggi, it will be because Daniel Jacobs was able to do something exciting. Sergio Mora, as we all remember, won the first season of The Contender in 1985, and parlayed that into… Something.
I’m not quite sure. Though I do remember watching a faded Shane Mosley trying desperately to engage Mora, who jumped out of the ring several times to avoid contact.
I like Jacobs here, but this thing could be absolutely awful. Hopefully not, one of these fights has to pan out eventually… Jacobs by decision.
Prediction: Jacobs
Brandon Glass, Contributing Writer
Regular. Interim. Super. Wtf? Daniel Jacobs should be a mandatory for Gennady Golovkin, so we can determine who holds the actual WBA Middleweight title. Furthermore, what has Sergio Mora done to deserve a shot anyway? I digress…
I like Jacobs. I’m ready for him to step up in competition. I think he’s slightly underrated, but he fights so infrequently that he’s taken up commentating on PBC as a side gig. Mora has a slick style. He doesn’t have much pop in his punches, but Mora could present matchup issues for Jacobs, but it’s highly unlikely he’s able to exploit them.
I just don’t think Mora has the experience or ability to trouble Jacobs. Also, Jacobs has won his last five fights by way of TKO and I’m still reeling from the right hand that rearranged Giovanni Lorenzo’s face. So I expect the streak to continue.
Prediction: Jacobs
Mike Burnell, Staff Writer
“The Latin Snake,” 34-year-old Sergio Mora, has absolutely had an interesting emergence into our frame of vision with success in the television series The Contender.
His popularity provided him the opportunity for higher profile fights including a close victory over the late Vernon Forrest followed by a loss in the rematch with Forrest, two losses to Brian Vera and a draw with Shane Mosely.
Danny Jacobs’ career has been carefully crafted with only one loss against limited opposition and this fight is likewise calculated.
Prediction: Jacobs
Alex Burgos, Editor-in-Chief
This, like any fight involving Sergio Mora, has the potential to stink up the joint. Daniel Jacobs is eyeing a potential fight with Peter Quillin, which would be a decent scrap, so from that perspective it would be nice to see him handle Mora convincingly.
Mora is awkward and could end up surviving the duration, but I think regardless of how it ends, Jacobs will come out on top.
Prediction: Jacobs
Danny Garcia
vs.
Paul Malignaggi
Edit by Lorin Elise
Lou Catalano, Senior Writer
It’s been quite clear for some time that Danny Garcia has trouble with slick boxers. He’s widely considered to have lost to Mauricio Herrera, and he looked like shit against Lamont Peterson. So in an effort to make him look even better, his handlers decided to put him in with A SLICK BOXER.
For all the talk of Al Haymon dismissing the media, I no longer believe that. I think he reads every single column from every boxing writer and has turned into the greatest troll ever known to man. He exists simply to piss off an entire sport for his own amusement, and PBC is the vessel that allows him to engage in his sick pleasures.
Peter Quillin’s next opponent will be Daniel Geale. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s next opponent will also be Daniel Geale. Deontay Wilder will wait four years and then he too will murder Daniel Geale.
Paul Malignaggi was basically retired after Shawn Porter kicked the Christ out of him, but in between calling fights for Showtime and accusing everyone of steroid use, he got the urge to jump back into the fray. If he’s as shot as he looked against Porter, Garcia is going to destroy him, which will only satisfy half the public, because these two guys are universally despised.
If you polled boxing fans on what outcome they’d prefer, 97 percent would wish for the 35,000 ton scoreboard to fall into the ring when Round 1 begins. But Malignaggi is currently working with Angel Heredia, which means he will now punch like Lucas Matthysse.
I’ll pick Garcia to win. God I hate this fight.
Prediction: Garcia
Brandon Glass, Contributing Writer
To me Danny Garcia just hasn’t had the same appeal since his run from 2012-2013. In two of his last three fights, specifically against Mauricio Herrera and Lamont Peterson (I felt he lost both despite getting the decision), he seems to be confused by guys who rely heavily on their jab and show him movement.
Paulie Malignaggi, far from his prime, is a fighter who does both of these things. He’s slowed down significantly in recent years and his record from the past couple of fights indicate that. So, I don’t know how effective he can be against Garcia in his current state, but stylistically I think he presents issues for Garcia.
We know in Malignaggi’s case, it’s highly unlikely he scores the knockout, which makes the fight almost impossible for Garcia to lose. Even if Paulie manages to give Garcia a boxing lesson, based on the Peterson and Herrera fights, Garcia most likely walks away with another controversial decision.
Prediction: Garcia
Brent Herrin, Staff Writer
As much as I’d like to see Paul Malignaggi come away with the win, I don’t think it’s going to happen.
Even if he slows down Danny Garcia’s attack, and creates a greater statistical margin on punchstat totals, I don’t think the judges will show him much favoritism.
Garcia lost the fight with Mauricio Herrera and still won, so it seems like he’s destined to win even if he loses which isn’t good for Malignaggi.
Prediction: Garcia
Mike Burnell, Staff Writer
This fight is not as safe for Danny Garcia as many on social media suggest. Garcia raised the ire of fans by facing Rod Salka, who isn’t a bad fighter, though he was decimated not only by Garcia’s hook but continuously as a punchline by keyboard warriors.
Paulie Malignaggi is understandably the underdog, however his decimation at the hands of Shawn Porter doesn’t write his future from that time forward.
He has consistently shown a ton of heart and it’s very possible that the Porter blowout is an anomaly.
Malignaggi hung very tough with Miguel Cotto despite having a broken jaw and arguably was on the wrong side of the judges against Broner and I would agree.
Garcia is moving up in weight, has momentum and will likely get the win but it won’t be as easy as many believe. I wouldn’t be totally shocked if Maliginaggi pulls it out though he is obviously on the back end of his boxing career while dovetailing it successfully into the world of broadcasting.
Prediction: Garcia
Alex Burgos, Editor-in-Chief
This fight may boil down to what Paul Malignaggi has left in the tank. Is he a fighter who commentates or a commentator who fights?
I’m actually not sure why the hell Al Haymon is putting Danny Garcia in with another mover/boxer when it’s abundantly clear that he sucks at dealing with them. Angel Garcia can motivate his son to train and be physically ready, but from a technique standpoint he has nothing to offer. That doesn’t bode well for Danny.
We’ll see if Malignaggi can hang for 12 rounds, but I think youth might be Garcia’s X factor and the reason why he’ll squeak out another close decision.
Prediction: Garcia
