Danny "Swift" Garcia has been criticized since last year for his matchmaking following a 2013 upset of Lucas "La Machina" Matthysse, and his August 1 opponent probably won't earn him adulation.
Garcia is slated to face Paulie Malignaggi, 36, on a PBC on ESPN card that is also expected to feature Danny "Miracle Man" Jacobs. The fight will most likely take place at welterweight, where Malignaggi was a former champion, and the WBC will be granting Garcia "Champion Emeritus" status after he had a reportedly emotional conversation with WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman.
Champion Emeritus status would mean that Garcia would receive an automatic title shot should he return to the junior welterweight division and be able to make the 140-pound limit. As he moves to welterweight-and likely bigger fights-Matthysse will challenge Viktor Postol for the suddenly vacant WBC title.
Garcia hasn't made weight since a questionable victory in Puerto Rico over journeyman Mauricio Herrera. Garcia followed that up with a vicious knockout of an overmatched lightweight named Rod Salka, and then fought IBF champion Lamont Peterson at a catch weight without any belts on the line.
Malignaggi is 36-6-0 with only seven knockouts in his career. He hasn't fought since April last year, when he was brutally knocked out in a welterweight title fight vs. Shawn "Showtime" Porter. Malignaggi was originally set to fight Danny O'Connor on the undercard of Amir Khan vs. Chris Algieri on May 26, but had to pull out of the fight because of a cut suffered during training.
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