Malignaggi and Broner talk trash at press conference

When the June 22 Paulie Malignaggi-Adrien Broner bout first was announced, one event everyone looked forward to attending was the fighters' press conference. With two of the biggest mouths in boxing standing in front of the cameras, many felt that at the very least, the lead-up to the fight would not be boring.

Safe to say, the fighters did not disappoint.

Although the conference was relatively calm by boxing standards -- no physical contact, profanity-laced diatribes, or displays of anger were observed -- the two did calmly exchange some of the anticipated personal insults and trash talk.

Regardless of the fighters' loquacious nature, this bout nevertheless should be interesting because it will allow fans to assess the undefeated Broner's immediate viability at welterweight.

Broner's blazing speed and solid power have allowed him to thrive at super featherweight and lightweight, while he has successfully transitioned from prospect to card headliner.  But now he will be jumping up two weight classes to welterweight, with the likely goal of someday landing a mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather before "Money" retires.

Malignaggi (32-4, 7 KO's) clearly is a safe, handpicked opponent for the Broner camp because the Brooklyn-based Malignaggi lacks finishing power and rarely wins by knockout.  Thus, it is less likely that Broner will find himself in over-his-head and overwhelmed by Malignaggi's greater size in his first fight at 147 pounds.

Still, Malignaggi is a smart veteran, who is both slick defensively and quick enough with his jab to cause Broner problems. Moreover, Broner remains relatively inexperienced, as he is continuing to hone his craft.

But should Broner (26-0, 22 KO's) secure a steppingstone win over a "name" guy in Malignaggi, then expect chatter -- whether deserved or not -- of a 2014 Mayweather-Broner fight.

After all, we have witnessed recently what talking about a Mayweather fight long enough can get you.

In the case of Robert Guerrero and his mere two wins at welterweight, it can get you a big payday and a somewhat undeserved opportunity at the pound-for-pound king.

By Mike Elliott
Editor of TheDailySportsHerald.com