By James Slater: The last thing a power puncher loses is, well, his power, and you can ask Mike Jones about whether or not this is the case with 37 year old Randall Bailey. “The Knock Out King” lived up to his nickname in challenging the unbeaten Jones for the vacant IBF welterweight crown earlier this month – taking Jones out in spectacular style in the 11th round – and now Bailey looks set to try and knock off another young fighter in Devon Alexander.
The fight is in the works for Sept.8th on Show Time (and may be a done deal by the time you read this) and both fighters are excited about the match-up.
Two southpaws with otherwise vastly different styles, Bailey, 43-7(37) and Alexander, 23-1(18) could result in a classic boxer Vs. Puncher showdown – and we all know who the puncher is. Alexander, much the younger man at age 25, has been in with punchers before (see his close, SD win over Argentine slugger Lucas Matthysse) but Bailey could prove to be the St. Louis man’s riskiest fight yet.
Bailey may have looked slow and ponderous in the early and middle rounds of the Jones fight, and he may well find himself outboxed by Alexander for long periods, but he keeps on coming. Can Alexander cope with the sheer physical and mental pressure Bailey will look to put on him? Alexander looked to have lost heart in his losing fight with Tim Bradley, and that was down at 140; and Bradley is no bomber like Bailey. If Bailey comes in and refuses to take a backward step the way Bradley did, he might prove too much for “The Great.” And what happens when (or if) Bailey lands a thunderbolt on his challenger’s chin?
It could well be that Bailey-Alexander proves to be a “don’t blink” fight, as is often the case when Bailey is in action. Also of interest if this fight goes ahead, will be which card the fans will go for – as that same September night, Andre Ward will meet Chad Dawson over on HBO. Both fights have intrigue about them, but if it’s a KO you’re after, the welterweight fight looks more likely to deliver.
But in whose favour? I think it would be foolish to count out the older man.