By Rick Reeno

BoxingScene.com has been advised that former IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi (29-4, 6KOs) will make his return on the Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson undercard on October 15th at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Malignaggi will likely face Orlando Lora (28-1-1, 19KOs), a Gary Shaw promoted boxer who already accepted the fight. Malignaggi-Lora would be the opening fight of the Hopkins-Dawson HBO pay-per-view.

Sources close to the situation told BoxingScene that Malignaggi was being pursued as possible opponent for Matthew Hatton (41-5-2, 16KOs), but the British boxer's management made a very low offer and their negotiations fell apart.

While the actual number has not been disclosed, a good source told BoxingScene the offer from Hatton was actually "lower" than what Malignaggi made for his April win over Jose Miguel Cotto on the Erik Morales-Marcos Maidana undercard. Hatton is scheduled to return on August 19th in Liverpool against Andrei Abramenka (15-0-2, 3KOs)