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As of yesterday (Thursday), both Paul Malignaggi, the WBA welterweight champion, and Adrien Broner, the WBC lightweight champion, had signed their contracts to face off, on June 22 at Barclays.

When that fight was floated, the reaction of many pundits and fans' initial reaction was that Malignaggi, the 32-year-old Brooklyn-born hitter who now lives in LA, would have trouble with the speed-strength package of Broner.

I asked Malignaggi (32-4) advisor Anthony Catanzaro why Team Malignaggi took the fight and why he likes Paulie to beat The Next Big Thing (26-0) in a Golden Boy fight on Showtime.

"I see nothing but upside," Catanzaro told me. "Broner is projected as the future face of the sport. He's undefeated. He's extremely outspoken. Everyone thinks he's the second coming of Floyd Mayweather ... but we're fighting at 147. We like the welterweight limit. We're in our hometown, our home borough. There's no reason not to take the fight. We're very excited."

And what, if any, edges does Paulie have going in to the bout, apart from the weight class and locale? "Paulie is the bigger, stronger guy," Catanzaro said. "Broner is fast up top, moves his head and at the waist, and has good hand speed. But his foot speed is not at our level, and his stance is extremely wide. He's got to plant to get off. We've got the much better resume, the bigger fight experience. He's been the main event but against who? The only real viable person he's faced is Antonio Demarco, who couldn't match him on skill. Paulie is a fighter through and through and once you get past the glitter, I represent a fighter in every sense of the word. I've got to pull him back, if the money was right he'd fight a Klitschko."

Paul Malignaggi has signed to fight Adrien Broner on June 22 at Barclays Center, the WBA welterweight champion told NYFightblog today.

Broner is making the leap from 135 pounds to 147 and Malignaggi tells us he will be too strong for the young Cincinnati-based hitter who holds the WBC lightweight title and calls himself "Mr. HBO."

The scrap, promoted by Golden Boy, will air on Showtime, as HBO announced a couple weeks ago they will not buy fights from Golden Boy any longer.

Not long after I chatted with George Foreman about the new boxing promotion he is forming with his sons, and we touched on how Big George might handle a fighter under the Foreman umbrella who shows troublemaker tendencies outside the ring, word got out that Adrien Broner had been arrested in Miami.

The 23-year-old Cincinnati resident, who holds the WBC lightweight title, is slated to fight WBA welter champ Paul Malignaggi on June 22 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Both fighters are promoted by Golden Boy, which has an exclusive deal to put on pro fights at Barclays.

Broner posted his mug shot and booking info on his Instagram account, tweeted that link, and subsequently scrubbed the Instagram post. The Miami-Dade report, first pointed out and confirmed by David Greisman of Boxing Scene, said Broner was booked on a battery charge on Monday. He was released after a $1,500 bond was paid.

In an interview with Ring TV's Lem Satterfield, Broner made light of the arrest. He accused, jokingly I think, that Malignaggi "sent the police to arrest me for nothing." Satterfield said Broner wouldn't part with details of his arrest.

Foreman touched on how he'd handle a Foreman fighter who seems to be going off the rails, or dealing with self-imposed drama, in his personal life. The ex-fighter is an ordained minister who has been giving sermons in churches for decades. "That (background) will get me an edge with fighters," he said. "I've got all the stories you can tell them. But I will not preach too much, I'll save the preaching for Sunday morning. You've got to let them be an American, let the guys get the foolishness out of their system. If boxing can't knock the foolishness out of their system, I sure can't."

He pointed to the stunning turnaround enjoyed by Mike Tyson, the former Baddest Man on the Planet who did time for rape and has since seemed to reform himself to be a gentle soul who adheres to a vegan diet. The message is clear: never give up hope that anyone, even someone who seems to be lost in a fog of self-destruction, will see the light, and find the narrower path of rightness.

Paul Malignaggi will defend his welterweight crown on June 22 at Barclays Center against the hottest young gun in the game, Adrien Broner, who is so sure of his talent, he's making the leap from 135, past 140, to the 147-pound class.

The Bensonhurst-bred fighter was present at Barclays on Saturday to see Golden Boy stablemate Bernard Hopkins continue his campaign to be the first man to never give in to Father Time. Their promoter, Richard Schaefer, told the media at the post-card presser that the 32-year-old Malignaggi (32-4) would put his WBA belt on the line against the 26-0 Cincinnati kid.

Malignaggi told me Monday there were still some contractual terms to finalize, and said that he expected that to happen "soon." He will train in N.Y. for a few weeks, then head to California for work at the Wild Card Gym.

In a video chat, Malignaggi told me that Broner hasn't fought anyone as talented as him. Is he the underdog, though? "Judging what most people are saying, yeah, but I've never minded that. It kinda motivates me. Anytime I've been the underdog, a lot of times it brings out the best in me," he said.

Paul Malignaggi flew in from the West Coast for the Hopkins-Cloud fight and at Barclays Center reported to NYFightblog that it is looking like his next fight will be against Adrien Broner, June 22, in Brooklyn at Barclays.

The WBA welter champ was supposed to fight Ricky Hatton, then Shane Mosley, then Diego Chaves -- with one or two rumored in that time frame -- since he beat Pablo Cano last October.

Broner, the flashy fisted, trashy talking lightweight who’d make the leap from 135 to 147, said he’d like the fight. They’ve been sparring on Twitter, so far in good humor, but you could expect the mud slinging to get thick in that one before they got physical.

Malignaggi drew buzz this week with an interview on Boxing Scene, in which he was unfiltered all the way through. Foul language, shots at HBO, at know-nothing fans, he didn’t pull a single punch. In that chat, he said he respects Broner’s talent, but doesn’t think he should be anointed before he’s properly tested. “There are weight classes for a reason,” he told NYFightblog.

The boxer does commentary on Showtime fights, and has a one-year deal with them. They'd be fine with him fighting on HBO, though, he said.

Sounds like we got a fight, or at least the main ingredients for one. Adrien Broner's trainer Mike Stafford said he'd love to have his kid fight Paul Malignaggi, and got the trash-talking parade marching when he took a couple shots at the Brooklyn boxer.

"If Paulie think Adrien's not a welterweight, please, Adrien spars with middleweights," the trainer told NYFightblog on Tuesday night after I spoke to him about the proposed Malignaggi-Broner fight in Abu Dhabi or Brooklyn. "That fight sounds good. I like the fight. Adrien would come in around 141, 142. I'd rather have it in Brooklyn than in Abu Dhabi. That'd be perfect. They've been trying to get Adrien to New York for a fight for a long time. May or June? I say June, give Paulie some time to talk up his s---t."

When informed that Malignaggi told NYFightblog that he didn't see Broner as a true welterweight, Stafford scoffed. "It ain't about being a welterweight, it's about being a true fighter. Paulie's not a welterweight, he's a blow up 140. It ain't like he's walking around at 160. He's a little, itty dude, got no knockouts. It's the hands, it ain't the weights."

Stafford said he's pretty sure Brit Ricky Burns, rumored for well over a year to be a Broner foe, doesn't want a piece of Broner, so a fight with Malignaggi makes sense. "The public doesn't know the other guys," he said of other potential matches for the brash Cincy standout.

Now, it'd be up to promoter Golden Boy to get Broner advisor Al Haymon to sign off and come to terms with Team Malignaggi.

Get ready for trash-talk gold.

It's looking a lot like Paul Malignaggi could face off against the newest "it" kid in boxing, Adrien Broner, this summer.

The WBA welter champ Malignaggi told NYFightblog that if Broner says yes, they could fight either in Abu Dhabi (on May 18) or at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on June 22).

Broner holds the WBC 135-pound crown, so it would be a considerable leap to 147. "I just don't see him as a welterweight, I think he's talented, but I also think his team is biting off more than he can chew," Malignaggi told me. "We've heard from that entire side wanting the fight, except Broner himself. I think that says something. Weight classes exist for a reason."

These two are both top 10, maybe top five, in talking smack, so the insults would probably be flying fast and furious before the fight. The clever Brooklyner would be the best foe Broner has fought, and we can assume Malignaggi's motivation to show his worth would propel him to be in tip-top condition, mentally and physically.

"I can't see how I lose it," Malignaggi said.

I like the scrap. You?

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Promoter Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy has given Paul Malignaggi until the end of this weekend to come together on a May 18 fight against either Diego Chaves or Humberto Soto in Abu Dhabi.

If it doesn't, Malignaggi (32-4; age 32) told NYFightblog, then Plan B will go into effect. That would be a fight at Barclays Center on June 22. And would Andre Berto be the probable foe in that case, as we'd heard previously? "Adrien Broner has been brought up for that date," the WBA welter champ told me. "I think it's an interesting backup plan to Abu Dhabi."

I'll say.

The trashtalk pre-fight hijinks for a Malignaggi-Broner fight would likely be more violent than the bout itself. The WBC lightweight champ Broner currently campaigns at 135 pounds, and was at 130 as recently as last February, but most experts seem to think his frame and skill set could accomadate a move up two classes.

Paul Maliganngi is still in a holding period, waiting for all the elements of a deal to fight in Abu Dhabi on May 18, against Argentine Diego Chaves, to jell. "Supposedly, everything is agreed to in principle," he said. "I have to sign, though, and then wait to see if money is transferred into an agreed escrow account."

This being boxing, it's always smart to take under advisement that a deal isn't a deal into both boxers are standing in a ring and the bell rings for Round 1. Malignaggi knows this and isn't getting ahead of himself. "If that doesn't happen then I'd probably still fight Andre Berto, in June," he told NYFightblog.

The fighter also reacted to the news that Floyd Mayweather flew the HBO coop and signed a six-fight, 30-month deal with rival Showtime. "I'm excited about Floyd signing with Showtime," Maliganngi said. "I can't wait to commentate on his fights!" Maliganngi, with an eye toward his vocational path after he hangs up the gloves, started doing TV commentary for Showtime last year.

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WBA welter champ Paul Malignaggi has received a bout agreement, to fight WBA No. 1 contender Diego Chaves in Abu Dhabi, with a tentative date of May 18, the fighter told ESPN NY.

The promoters, a group of Brits and businessmen in Abu Dhabi, are firming things up with the Chaves side, the 32-year-old Brooklyn-bred boxer said.

"It's moving slowly," he stated, so he is still considering a fight with Andre Berto.

The crew that runs Showtime Sports Events must be pretty certain that Paul Malignaggi will headline an April event in Abu Dhabi. Their website, ShowtimeSportsEvents.com, splashes a photo of Malignaggi, mashed up with his proposed foe for the event, Diego Chaves, on their home page.

First off, you should know that Showtime Sports Events isn't the cable TV giant which broadcast Malignaggi's last fight, against Pablo Cano, in October.

No, this "Showtime" is a creation of Johnny Eames and Gianluca Di Caro, who, along with partner Gary Barber, run the TRAD TKO Boxing Gym in England. Eames and Di Caro put out a release a couple days ago which touted the forthcoming Malignaggi-Chaves clash, sometime in April, and their ties to Abu Dhabi residents Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi and Khaled Abdulla Al Mansoori.

The release said their new promotional entity was "about to ink a deal" with Malignaggi to defend his WBA welterweight crown, and Eames is quoted as saying they will be working with "a vast amount of funds allocated to us to pull in the biggest fighters, not just for the Abu Dhabi and the Middle East project."

To that end, Eames said inquiries were made to land a Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez fight, but that didn't come to fruition. They originally sought a Ricky Hatton-Malignaggi scrap, but that went off the rails when Hatton was stopped in a comeback bid. Eames in the release said that that Malignaggi and his promoter Golden Boy, are "days away from signing contracts."

NYFightblog reached Malignaggi, who said that Chaves' promoter has been contacted and terms on that end are being discussed. "If this deal works out and the deal comes through, then yes, that would be my next fight," he said. A clash in the U.S. against Andre Berto stands as his Plan B, currently, Malignaggi said.

Chaves is a 22-0 Argentine who holds the WBA interim world welterweight title. Most logically, you ask why there is an "interim" WBA champ if the current WBA champ hasn't been inactive. This I have no answer for, and I fear trying to get to the bottom of that would lead us all down a rabbit whole, and to a state of madness.

Sorry, local Paulie Malignaggi fans. It’s looking like the WBA welterweight champion won’t be making his second title defense in Brooklyn at Barclays Center after all.

The 32-year-old Bensonhurst-bred hitter was going to glove up on Apr. 27 in Brooklyn, but that plan seems to have shifted. Terms to fight Shane Mosley couldn’t be hashed out, so Malignaggi (32-4) is looking at other foes, in other locales.

One possibility, he told NYFightblog, is a bout some seven thousand or so miles away. He doesn't want to announce the location, because he first has to perform some due diligence on the promoter. Another possibility is a fight against Andre Berto, on the West Coast.

The offers, callouts and disses flow like New Year's resolutions on Jan. 1, and Paul Malignaggi generally treats them like most people do their own resolutions after a few weeks -- with indifference.

Sunday night on the Internet radio show KO Lounge, prospect Keith Thurman said he wanted a piece of Paulie. The 19-0 Floridian, age 24, said Paulie has a belt and he wants that WBA welterweight strap.

Thurman's last two bouts, KOs of Orlando Lora and Carlos Quintana, were showcased on HBO and he did much to open eyes. The man has a desire to separate his foe from his senses. So ... would Malignaggi consider a dance date with Thurman, especially if continuing negotiations with Shane Mosley for an April scrap fall through?

"What makes Keith Thurman different than anyone else that wants a title shot but has barely done anything to merit the shot over more deserving opponents?" Malignaggo told ESPN NY. "If he wasn't with Al Haymon, no one would know who this guy was, so when he does something to get himself in position I'm sure all the world champions will take notice of him. But until then, signing with Al Haymon isn't an accomplishment that makes you deserve a title shot. Solid wins over top guys get you title shots, and Keith Thurman has none."

Sounds like as of today, Thurman has the same chance of getting a gig against Paulie as the majority of citizens do of getting slim and trim for 2013.

Boxing in New York picked up the pace in 2012. The new series at the Barclays Center took off, and the debut in October was a success. Having a focal point is an immense boost to the local scene, as young fighters can know that they have a stage ready for them when they're ready to rock. Madison Square Garden has taken notice and is getting more active booking fights cards, with a slate booked into the Theater Jan. 19. All these men can benefit from the amped-up buzz in NYC.

Ladies and gents, here is your 2012 NYC Top Ten Pound-For-Pound List.

1) PETER QUILLIN He has an XL personality and his boxing has been improving, fight by fight. No reason why Quillin shouldn't be a full-on star in 2013. The 29-year-old Manhattan resident retired Winky Wright in June, and then whacked Hassan N'Dam around, exiting the Barclays Center with the WBO middleweight belt, on Oct. 20. He is the NYFightBlog BOXER OF THE YEAR. (No. 3 last year)

2) PAULIE MALIGNAGGI Paulie escaped the Barclays Center with a W over young Mexican rumbler Pablo Cano on Oct. 20, and was looking forward to a career-best payday rematch against Ricky Hatton. Hatton's body didn't cooperate, and he was stopped in his return bout. So the 32-year-old Bensonhurst tactician is still hunting Plan B. We wonder -- and suspect he wonders -- if he has lost a quarter-step, or if he can return in his next bout in fine form, with peppy legs, a busy jab, the whole package. We're betting yes ... but just in case, he's been setting up business prospects and is doing a bangup job as an analyst for Showtime, so if he has lost a foot off his fastball, 2013 will find Malignaggi with options regardless. (No. 2 last year)

3) DANNY JACOBS Last year, he thought he would die. This year, Jacobs has been climbing his way up the middleweight ladder, and doing it with as much grace and charm as any pugilist out there. The Park Slope resident, age 25, looks to rise to 25-1 when he gloves up Feb. 9 at Barclays. He kicked cancer's ass, I suspect he will do the same a few times in the ring this year, and by the end of the year, he should be ready to tackle a titlist. I root for him -- sorry, just being honest. (No. 8 last year)

4) ARGENIS MENDEZ The Dominican-born Brooklyn resident won an IBF super featherweight title eliminator over Martin Honorio in July, so we can presume an opportunity will pop for the 20-2 hitter soon. He came up short against Juan Carlos Salgado for the vacant IBF super feather belt in 2011, but we're betting he gets over the title hump in 2013. At 26, he should be in his physical prime. (N0. 5 last year)

5) ZAB JUDAH The Brownsville native is 35, and we're tempted to say he's looking at his last chance when he meets junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia at Barclays in the headliner Feb. 9. But Judah is a name, and a character, and even if he can't get the better of the under-appreciated Philly hitter, Judah will continue to receive opportunities. He's been talking tough ahead of the Garcia bout, and dad is back in his corner, but we still recall the stinkbomb effort he turned in against Amir Khan in July 2011. Will Good Zab or Bad Zab show up at Barclays? (No. 7 last year)

6) JOSEPH AGBEKO Last year's No. 1 went 0-for-2012, as the Bronx based Ghanian didn't glove up once this year. He could have fallen off the list but he gets consideration for what he's done. The 28-2 32-year-old is slated to meet 34-8-1 Luis Melendez on Feb. 22, so he could rise again next year if he regains his step. (No. 1 last year)

6) JOAN GUZMAN The Dominican formerly known as Little Tyson tasted defeat for the first time, losing a technical decision to 17-0 Khabib Allakhverdiev on Nov. 30. At 36, it looks like Guzman (33-1-1) has lost a mile off his fastball. Can he transition to being a clever junkballer, or will he be off this list next year? (Guzman No. 4 last year)

7) PATRICK HYLAND The Irish transplant lost his 0, when Javier Fortuna beat him, with the interim WBA feather crown up for grabs, on Dec. 8, underneath Pacquiao-Marquez, but showed he belonged at that class. We suspect he will learn from the loss and might well come back stronger, secure in the knowledge that that sized stage is appropriate for him. And whatever happens, he can take this to his grave: he is the top boxer in the stable of MTV's Snooki. (Not rated last year)

8) LUIS COLLAZO The 32-5 Queens-based boxer looked sharper than I expected in a win against Steve Upsher Chambers on the first Barclays card. An ex welterweight champion, he's 31, has his head on straight, is freed from promotional entanglements (cough Don King cough) and is backed by Golden Boy, which has the pull to get him opportunities. It is up to him to keep winning, and 2013 could be the year he gets to wrap another belt around his waist. (No. 16 last year)

9) EDDIE GOMEZ The 20-year-old from the Bronx fought and won five times this year. He has confidence galore and perhaps the skills to match it. If he stays healthy, and doesn't let rising fame mess with his head, 2013 could be a breakthrough year for Gomez (12-0). We can see him headlining a ShoBox by the end of the year. (Not rated last year)

10) DMITRIY SALITA/HECTOR CAMACHO JR (TIE) These two will clash underneath Garcia-Judah at Barclays on Feb. 9. The winner gets this spot, the loser drops off. The 35-1 Salita, age 30, is slightly favored for the 152 or under contest, as the 34 year-old Camacho was knocked out cold in his last outing, by 12-1-1 Luis Grajeda in July. (Salita No. 20, Camacho No. 15 last year)

Honorable Mention: Sechew Powell (No. 10 last year), Joe Hanks (last year not rated), Seanie Monaghan (last year not rated), Will Rosinsky (last year not rated), Chris Algieri (last year not rated), Gabriel Bracero (last year No. 13)

Shane Mosley told Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV that he will fight Paul Malignaggi on June 8, according to Villegas. Not so fast, says Malignaggi.

"I turned them down because I haven't got the offer I want," said Malignaggi, who was fairly confident a deal could be hashed out between his promoter, Golden Boy, and Mosley, him, and Showtime, who would televise the scrap, on April 27, in Brooklyn. "I guess they anticipate buying themselves more time to convince me."

Malignaggi indicated he's not inclined to cave on the numbers, so stayed tuned on this situation. Mosley retired after a decision loss to Canelo Alvarez last May, but hasn't gotten the bug out of his blood.

He's 41, and was winless in his last four fights, but I am more open to this fight than some pundits, as I thought Mosley had a bit left in the tank against Alvarez.