‘Great’ makes name ring true
His nickname, “The Great,” has been a difficult moniker for Devon Alexander to live up to the last few years.
Saturday night in front of a hometown crowd at Scottrade Center in St. Louis and a national audience on HBO, he finally was Alexander “The Great.”
In his first fight at welterweight, Alexander looked like a different fighter from the 140-pound version. The extra 7 pounds made all the difference. Alexander retained his speed and quickness and added power that had been missing in his recent fights.
Alexander, 25, used that speed and quickness to dominate Argentine power puncher Marcos Maidana in a 10-round non-title fight. He finished one round shy of a complete shutout on one judge’s scorecard.
Despite suffering a cut over his right eye early in the fight, Alexander (23-1, 13 KOS) hurt Maidana several times during the fight with lightning-quick combinations and precision punching.
Alexander gave Maidana (31-3, 28 KOS) a shot to the head in the sixth round that put Maidana on the canvas, but referee Steve Smoger inexplicably did not rule it a knockdown.
“That was a knockdown,” Alexander said. “My power is better at 147. I hit him with a left hand, and he didn’t even see it. Speed kills in any sport.”
Alexander was coming off three tough fights, one of which he lost to Timothy Bradley 13 months ago in Detroit. The other two were in St. Louis, and he won close, controversial decisions vs. Andriy Kotelnik and Lucas Matthysse, both of whom charged home cooking on the scoring. This time Alexander left no doubt.
The difference between this fight and his previous few, Alexander said, was “the weight, first and foremost. I had been fighting at 140 since I was 15
Broner KOS Perez:
Adrien “The Problem” Broner turned out to be a big problem for Eloy Perez.
Broner, the undefeated, 22year-old rising star from Cincinnati, threw a crushing right hand in the fourth round that put Perez on the canvas, where he was counted out at 38 seconds of the round. Broner retained his WBO super feather- years old, but it was getting kind of hard for me to make. I went up to 147, we got the problem situated and now we’re back on top. I know what I’m doing, and I can become one of the best in St. Louis and the world.”
Asked whether the cut over his eye bothered him, Alexander said, “It did. I kept wiping my eye. But I learned from the Timothy Bradley fight. ... Things happen in a fight, but you have to work through it.” weight title.
Perez (23-1-2) stumbled from one end of the ring to the other trying to get up from the punch, but he finally was counted out by referee Genaro Rodriguez as he hung on the ropes.
Broner (24-0, 20 KOS) threw 189 punches and landed 58 (31%), while Perez threw 160 and landed 26 (16%).
“This is what happens when you put a good fighter in with an elite fighter,” Broner said.
Showing quick feet and quick hands that made even the nimble Perez look slow, Broner told HBO, “You saw it. I got the fastest feet in the game. I should be on Dancing with the Stars.”
Asked who was next on his opponent wish list, Broner said, “You can call me the ‘Can Man.’ Anybody can get some. Africans, Ameri-cans, Domini-cans, Mexi-cans.
“Anybody can get it.”