Paulie Malignaggi To Fight Pablo Cano In October At Barclays Debut

Bensonhurst brawler Paulie Malignaggi will make his Barclays Center debut on October 20th, reports ESPN.

The “Brooklyn Pride” event will not have Malignaggi headline against Amir Khan as was expected. Instead, the Brooklyn native will fight 22 year-old Mexican Pablo Cano (25-1-1 with 19 KO’s).

Cano is not as well-known as some of the boxers who were speculated to fight, but Malignaggi says he has plans for a much bigger fight in the near future.

“There is a long-term plan. My fans should stay patient, there is a very big fight coming, but it’s hush hush for now,” said Malignaggi.

His promotion team has reportedly been in talks with Zab Judah, another big-name Brooklyn native. There are also rumors that British superstar Ricky Hatton may come out of retirement to fight either Malignaggi or Khan.

For now, Malignaggi says he must take his opponent seriously.

“He’s a very good body puncher, he’ll try to take my legs away,” he said.

The WBA Welterweight Champion also said he expects a lively audience in downtown Brooklyn. He hopes his own home fans will cheer him on, but also expects a large Central American following for Cano and headliner Erik Morales.

Former champion Morales will take on Danny Garcia for the main event on October 20th, which looks to be an exciting debut for boxing at the Barclays Center.