‘Magic Man’ faces ‘Olimpico’ in L.A

Former world light-welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi (29-4) fights on the ‘Believe it or Not!’ undercard at The Staples Center in Los Angeles, California tonight as he heads towards a title shot at 147lbs.

The 30 year-old from Brooklyn is looking for his third straight win at welterweight since moving up after losing to 140lb belt holder Amir Khan in May 2010 and now meets Mexican Orlando Lora (28-1-1, 19 KO’s).

Lora, also 30, has just one loss to David Estrada in his 30 fights and drops down from a short stint a light-middleweight where he picked up two victories over journeymen.

Topping the bill of course if Bernard ‘The Executioner’ Hopkins in his first defence of the WBC light-heavyweight title he took from Jean Pascal in May this year to become the oldest world boxing champion of all time.

‘B-Hop’ faces mandatory challenger ‘Bad’ Chad Dawson, who is a two-time former champion and young enough to be Hopkins’ son at 29.

Also on the L.A card, Jorge Linares and Antonio DeMarco square-off for the vacant WBC lightweight title and Danny ‘Swfit’ Garcia meets Kendall Holt in an IBF light-welterweight title eliminator for the number two ranking.