Malignaggi: Now champion at welterweight
New Yorker Paulie Malignaggi became a two-weight world champion on Sunday night, taking the WBA welterweight title from Vyacheslav Senchenko.
Malignaggi, a former IBF light-welterweight champion before losing to both Ricky Hatton and Amir Khan, went to Ukraine to take on the unbeaten champion in his own back yard.
Knowing only a stoppage would do in Donetsk, Malignaggi dominated the naturally bigger man and his quicker hands soon started to cause damage around his opponent's eyes.
A cut opened over the champion's left eye and with the eye starting to close and blows reigning down on Senchenko, referee Steve Smoger stepped in to stop the fight in round nine.
It is only the American's seventh stoppage win in a career record of 31-4.
