Amir Khan beats Devon Alexander
Amir Khan beats Devon Alexander! Amir Khan delivered a boxing masterclass to prove himself a worthy future opponent for Floyd Mayweather with a convincing 12-round unanimous decision victory over Devon Alexander in their WBC Silver welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The near shutout led to Khan winning 119-109, 118-110 and 120-108 to remain undefeated at 147lbs and extend his winning streak against southpaws to seven. Such was the one-sidedness of the contest, we may even see Mayweather cautious about taking on the contest.
In his second fight in the welterweight division, Khan was accurate, balanced and focused for 12 rounds proving himself the consummate boxer. The former light-welterweight world champion landed 54 per cent of his power punches to Alexander’s 32 per cent and 43 per cent of his total shots against Alexander’s 20 per cent. Khan landed 243 punches. Alexander just 91.
But it was Khan’s hand-speed and combinations that were too much for Alexander, who could not get inside against the Briton to land his right hooks.
For once, Khan ‘won ugly’, but in pure boxing terms, it was flawless. He was less vulnerable. Perhaps less exciting, too. But ready for Mayweather? It certainly looks that way. His style, as he stated this week, would cause problems for the fighter ten years his senior.
Khan said: “I believe I have earned my shot. We are coming to take the belt off Floyd Mayweather. My speed, my movement, will give him problems.”
Khan looked classy, moving less, his feet heavier, his punches more solid, and his speed of thought outdoing Alexander time and again.
Calm, composed, Khan kept to his gameplan and never allowed Alexander get going. The only thing he did not do was go in for the kill.
“We knew we had to make a statement at 147lbs,” Khan said. “I was up against a very skilled fighter and I knew we couldn’t make any mistakes. I’m the best boxer with the quickest hands in the world and I think this was one of my best performances.
“I’m getting better as I’m getting older. I have the best jab in the business and my speed causes a lot of problems for guys.”
Khan stated his case for a mega-fight against the pound-for-pound champion Mayweather in 2015, though the American said on Friday that he is now “ready to face Manny Pacquiao”.
It will be a complex series of negotiations from here, with Kell Brook’s promoter Eddie Hearn ringside and stating the case for a blockbuster between Khan and Brook at Wembley Stadium, in June and August. Two dates at the huge venue have already been reserved, Hearn disclosed.
“I really believe I earned my shot against the best fighter in the world, which is Floyd Mayweather,” Khan said. “I believe he’ll have problems with my speed, movement and accuracy. I’m going to leave it to my team and let’s hope we get that fight.”
Former two-division world champion Alexander didn’t make any excuses after the fight.
“He was the better man tonight,” Alexander said. “My coach told me to get off and I wasn’t getting off. I could have caught him I just didn’t do it tonight. I was supposed to follow the game plan, I was moving good but I just couldn’t move forward and get off.”
Across town, also in Sin City, Irishman Andy Lee, trained by Adam Booth, knocked out Matt Korobov to win the WBO middleweight title. It was his right hook which did the damage, a follow-up flurry of punches from Lee bringing referee Kenny Bayless in to end the bout.