Senchenko-Malignaggi lands in Ukraine

By Gabriel F. Cordero

WBA welterweight champion Vycheslav Senchenko (32-0, 21 KOs) will defend against former IBF 140lb champion Paul Malignaggi, (30-4, 6 KOs) in the city of Donetsk, Ukraine next April. Union Boxing Promotions representing Senchenko won the WBA purse bid on by offering $1,000,010 to promote the fight and reported that the date could probably be on the 27th, 28th or 29th of April in Donetsk, Ukraine. To Senchenko will be his fourth title defense and his fifth world title fight in Ukraine. The purse bid was overseen by Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, WBA Executive Vice President and Chairman of the World Championships, and supervised by the Vice President of World Championships, Aurelio Fiengo of Panama. Golden Boy Promotions, representatives of Malignaggi, offered $250,000 to promote the fight in New York, Milan or Palermo in Italy on April 21.

“The fight will take place because the WBA interim champion Ismael El Massoudi currently has legal problems and is not available, so Senchenko chose to fight the next available challenger, which is Malignaggi,” said Mendoza.

January 26th, 2012

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