Malignaggi/Juan Diaz II headlines solid Sat night fight card

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HBO has Victor Ortiz's comeback fight after he got beat up by Maidana and tried to retire in the ring after. Then Baby Bull/Malignaggi II. They're also showing the tape delay of the Vitali Klitschko/Kevin Johnson fight after.

No idea who this tomato can Ortiz is fighting is ... but it's gotta be a hand picked meatball to get this pretty boy's career back on track. Execs from Golden Boy and HBO had to be clutching their chests after this clown was questioning whether or not he was tough enough to be a boxer two days after Delehoya annointed him The Chosen One for Golden Boy. Diaz/Paulie ... man, I expect Juan to be a little more active, but don't expect the fight to end up too much different than the first one. Just heard interviews with both guys. Seems like Paulie is hungrier. A little older. Knows this is his last chance. Matches up well with Diaz, who gets hit too much. Paulie can't knock anyone out, but I expect him to this time win a very close decision and continue to pepper Baby Bull with 30 jabs a round. Hope I'm wrong. I really like Juan Diaz. As solid a guy as you'll find.

Showtime has a pretty good doubleheader too. Darchinyan against Tomas Rojas, then Tim Bradley/Lamont Peterson. Darchinyan's comeback after the surprising loss to Agbeko after dominating Arce. In the headliner, Peterson, who Showtime has been hyping for years, gets his first step up fight against Bradley, who has quietly rattled off several impressive wins in a row. I like Darchinyan to win by a spectacular KO, and Bradley to edge Peterson in a close but unanimous decision.

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Bradley/Peterson is my prediction for FOTY. I don't figure it to be anything but a war and the winner should be in line for some PPV headline fights in the near future.

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Darchinyan back on track after the Agbeko loss. Next fight of his should be a great one. Either a rematch with Agbeko or a bout with Nonito Donaire.

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God damn! Round three, Bradley/Peterson ... round of the year candidate.

Thought Bradley had him finished, gutty comeback in that round by Peterson, who looks outclassed. Bradley is very impressive thus far. Peterson needs to continue to assert himself here in rd 4 or its over.

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Incredibly impressive performance from Bradley through six rounds. Quick, athletic, confident, and landing all different kids of punches with both hands. Crisply. And his defense has been superb tonight against a skilled fighter in Peterson who has a 3 inch height advantage and 3 inch reach advantage.

Very entertaining fight.

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Have Bradley winning this one 10 rounds to 2. 118-110.

Very impressed with both fighters tonight. Tim Bradley is a helluva fighter. If he had a little more punching power, he'd be a bona fide top ten lb for lb guy. He was very impressive tonight against a legitimate foe.

Peterson ... also impressed, considering this was a huge step up in class for him, and theh fact he was dead to rights after 3 rounds.

140 lbs ... getting VERY interesting. Bradley, Kahn, Diaz, Malignaggi, Devon Alexander, Maidana. Juan Manuel and Ricky Hatton still potentially in the mix.

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My prediction. Next spring, Kahn fights Hatton, Bradley fights the winner of Diaz/Paulie tonight. Winners fight in the fall.

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Man, Paulie's a lot bigger than Juan tonight.

My opinion - Diaz should be fighting at 135, not 140. Only hydrated up to like 144 tonight. Paulie to 150. Diaz has lost all his power since moving above 135.

IMO, Paulie wins tonight.

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First two rounds convincingly to Paulie. 20-18 Malignaggi.

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Another round Paulie. 3-0 shutout. 30-27.

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Diaz's only chance tonight is to get inside and make this one ugly. He seems unwilling and unable to.

40-36 Malignaggi.

Paulie heading towards a lopsided unanimous decision.