Malave had won nine of his next ten bouts, including a rematch against Freytus Caban, avenging the defeat of the previous meeting by winning a unanimous decision.
On June 4, 1973 at the Felt Forum, Madison Square Garden, New York, Malave lost to Ray Lampkin by an eighth-round knockout.
Then he faced former World Lightweight Champion Ken Buchanan, losing by a TKO in the 7th round September 1, 1973, which turned out to be his last professional boxing match.
[1] Malave studied acting at Herbert Berghoff Studios in the West Village, while pursuing his budding career as a professional boxer.
He moved to Los Angeles in 1975 and remained there for the rest of his acting career, except for a one-year stint in New York for a starring role in the NBC soap opera For Richer, for Poorer in 1978.