By Ted Sares: I’m ready. I come 110%. We work hard. We work hard. There ain’t nothing Junior Witter can do to stop me from being champion. –Devin Alexander
I’m here. I’m ready to go. Boxing is what I do, boxing is what I love. Let’s get this done. –Junior Witter
Devon Alexander (19-0) sowed why he may be a force with which to be reckoned in the light welterweight division as he beat Junior Witter (37-3-2) to capture the vacant WBC light welterweight title in Rancho Mirage, California.
Road warrior “Alexander the Great” did what he had to do against a fighter who makes ugly fights his signature. Alexander, who has a superb amateur background, has fought in nine different states and even stopped South Korean Sun-Haeng “Cobra” Lee in China. He is a thinking man’s fighter who can adapt depending on changing conditions…
In this bout, the “Hitter” was particularly wild. Throwing dangerous uppercuts from the outside, lunging in head first, and throwing wide shots from awkward positions, Witter put on what could only be described as a “nutty performance,” which is the way commentator Al Bernstein correctly labeled it.
As a result of hard right counter punches, the tightly wound Witter was bleeding from the mouth and eye after three rounds. In the fifth, he was staggered by a crunching left hook and only the ropes prevented a knockdown (which meant it should have been counted as a knockdown, but was not). Still, the damage was done. Then, after a decent eight round, Witter and his corner put the cap on a strange evening by quitting in his corner, but it was more a melt down than anything else. Witter alluded to trouble with his elbow, but didn’t sound very convincing. Devon was well ahead on the cards at the time.
Alexander now joins Cory Spinks as St. Louis’s two world champions. They are trained by the highly respected Kevin Cunningham, and together with cut man Jim Strickland, both have a formidable corner behind them.
Look for Witter to fight again, but look for the humble and affable Alexander to become a fan-favorite.