Undefeated WBC No. 1-Ranked Super Lightweight Opens His Final Workout to the Media Before Departing for Rancho Mirage, Calif., to Make His First Appearance in a World Championship Match Against former WBC 140-pound champion Junior Witter
Marquette Gym – St. Louis – Media Workout – July 23 – 1:30 p.m. CT
ST. LOUIS—Undefeated World Boxing Council No. 1-ranked super lightweight and mandatory challenger Devon Alexander “The Great” opened his final workout today to the media in his hometown Marquette Gym in St. Louis prior to departing for Rancho Mirage, Calif., to make his first appearance in a world championship boxing match.
Alexander will face former WBC super lightweight champion Junior “The Hitter” Witter on Aug. 1 for the same title that was recently vacated by Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley, who, ironically, is fighting on the same SHOWTIME-televised doubleheader (9 p.m. ET/PT) at Agua Caliente Casino, Resort and Spa against former unified lightweight world champion Nate “Galaxxy Warrior” Campbell.
“I’ve watched tapes on Junior Witter,” Alexander said. “He’s a crafty, slick fighter that likes to take pot shots at you when he gets the opportunity. My goal is to give him something where he will not be able to stay with that all night. I want to dominate him for 12 rounds. I want to be smart and aggressive at the same time.”
Alexander has had the same promoter, Don King, since he turned professional and the same trainer, Kevin Cunningham, since he began boxing as an amateur.
“From what I’ve seen in Witter, I see an experienced, savvy veteran that can be awkward at times but I think a sharpshooter like Devon can make him pay for his mistakes,” Cunningham said. “Witter does have the edge in experience but Devon has fought guys all over the world going back to his amateur days. Youth, speed, talent and persistence are things that Devon is blessed with so he can overcome anything he put his mind to.
“I think at some point in this fight it’s going to come down to the fact that Junior Witter is going to realize he’s in the ring with a young, hungry and extremely talented fighter that will prove that he wants it just a little more.”
Raw Quotes
Devon Alexander “The Great” – “It means a lot to me to be fighting in my first world championship match. I started in boxing when I was 7. I come from a rough St. Louis neighborhood where most people go to jail or end up dead. I heard gun shots every night where you have to hit the ground and check to make sure the bullets didn’t hit you. This is a tremendous opportunity God has blessed me with to be fighting for a world title.
“There are 13 kids in my family including me and I’m the only one that can change my family’s direction and give them more opportunities to succeed in life. I want to show them a different way of life.
“I’m a natural southpaw. I’ve got speed and power but I don’t force my power. I can box on the outside like Sugar Ray Leonard or stand in the middle like Iron Mike, either way is fine with me.
“When the bell rings, the game plan turns on. I feel my opponent out and I try to dictate my style onto him and adjust to whatever he brings. For example, in my last fight against Chuy Rodriguez—a good fighter from California—my coach told me to feel him out and pop the jab. Rodriguez turned out to be a scrappy guy, but I knew I was too much for him if I stayed in my game rather than play to his strengths.
“I trained my whole career alongside Cory Spinks. He is so slick and fast and I’ve always tried to become as crafty as he is. He taught me to relax and have fun in the ring and not be over-anxious. The name of the game is to hit and not get hit and I had a front row seat to one of the best at that. I definitely try to carry those abilities into the ring with me.
“I’ve watched tapes on Junior Witter. He’s a crafty, slick fighter that likes to take pot shots at you when he gets the opportunity. My goal is to give him something where he will not be able to stay with that all night. I want to dominate him for 12 rounds. If he’s still there, I want to be there all day for him, giving him punches in bunches where he gets more than he gives. I want to be smart and aggressive at the same time.”
Kevin Cunningham (trainer and manager of Devon Alexander, and Cory Spinks) “Training has gone great. Devon is peaking at the right time. He’s been excellent in training and sparring. He’s looking spectacular.”
“The kid is definitely ready. Since he was an amateur, he has always been above the curve, advanced. When he fought in the national Golden Gloves, he asked me to doctor his birth certificate because he was three months short, he wasn’t 17 yet. I put him in with the adults and he won the whole thing when he was 16. He’s always been ready so I know he’s ready for his first world championship fight.
He had nearly 300 amateur fights. He’s undefeated at 18-0. He’s been successful in three 12-round fights on his way to his first world championship. He’s faced a former world champion, a world title challenger in Miguel Callist and some top contenders. He’s definitely ready.
“From what I’ve seen in Witter, I see an experienced, savvy veteran that can be awkward at times but I think a sharpshooter like Devon can make him pay for his mistakes. Witter does have the edge in experience but Devon has fought guys all over the world going back to his amateur days. Devon has sparred with some of the top professional fighters in the world as well so it’s just a matter of him executing in the ring.
“Youth, speed, talent and persistence are things that Devon is blessed with so he can overcome anything he put his mind to. It’s just a mater of execution. I think at some point in this fight it’s going to come down to the fact that Junior Witter is going to realize he’s in the ring with a young, hungry and extremely talented fighter that will prove that he wants it just a little more.”
Photo credit: Bob Barton