Amir Khan-Devon Alexander: Pre-Fight Report Card

by Cliff Rold

Longtime scribe Steve Kim asked this week whether this week’s Showtime main event is an ‘elimination match’ for a showdown with Floyd Mayweather. 

Both Amir Khan and Devon Alexander have been floated before as possible opponents for the Welterweight leader.  Of the two, Khan is probably the more marketable opponent.  With chatter up again for a showdown with Manny Pacquiao, a fight with either is going to piss a lot of people off.

People have been pissed off, at varying levels, for five years.  It hasn’t meant a fight.  There is a balance now between the angry and the apathetic.  Expect the latter to lose less sleep next year.

Whether this is a dress rehearsal for the big PPPV B-side or not, we have an interesting clash between a pair of former titlists who both need the win.  Whether necessity adds up to entertainment, given the styles at play, remains to be seen.  

Let’s go the report card.

The Ledgers

Amir Khan 


Age: 28

Current Titles: None


 Previous Titles: WBA Light Welterweight (2009-11, 5 Defenses); IBF Light Welterweight (2011)


Height: 5’8 ½

Weight: 147 lbs.

Hails from: Bolton, Lancashire, United Kingdom

Record: 29-3, 19 KO, 2 KOBY

Rankings: #9 (Ring), #10 (BoxingScene, TBRB)

Record in Major Title Fights: 6-2, 3 KO, 1 KOBY

Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 10 (Gairy St. Clair UD12; Marco Antonio Barrera Tech. Dec. 5; Andriy Kotelnik UD12; Paulie Malignaggi TKO11; Marcos Maidana UD12; Zab Judah KO5; Lamont Peterson L12; Danny Garcia TKO4; Julio Diaz UD12; Luis Collazo UD12)



Vs.

Devon Alexander

Age: 27

Current: None

Previous Titles: WBC Super Lightweight (2009-11, 2 Defenses); IBF Light Welterweight (2010-11, 1 Defense); IBF Welterweight (2012-13)

Height: 5’8 ½

Weight: 147 lbs.

Hails From: St. Louis, Missouri

Record: 26-2, 14 KO

Rankings: #8 (BoxingScene, BoxRec), #9 (TBRB, ESPN), #10 (Ring)

Record in Major Title Fights: 4-2, 2 KO

Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 9 (DeMarcus Corley UD12; Junior Witter RTD8; Juan Urango TKO8; Andriy Kotelnik UD12; Timothy Bradley L10; Lucas Matthysse SD12; Marcos Maidana UD10; Randall Bailey UD12; Shawn Porter)

Grades

Pre-Fight: Speed – Khan A+; Alexander A-

Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Khan B; Alexander B

This could be an ugly fight.  Maybe it surprises, but the style clash isn’t super promising in the action department.  But…

Amir Khan is fighting. 

The thing with Khan is one never knows what they will get.  Much hinges on whether or not an opponent can land. 

Alexander isn’t a big puncher.  Khan doesn’t have to be caught by a big puncher to be hurt. 

Think back to fights like Willie Limond when Khan was still at Lightweight.  Julio Diaz, well past his sell by date, hurt him and gave him a long night.

That chin is vulnerability personified.  It’s also a target.

A problem for Alexander has been finding targets.  He’s got good speed.  He throws pretty straight.  He misses a lot.  Against Lucas Matthysse, Kotelnik, and Bradley as examples, Alexander’s struggles with punching accuracy have often been there.  Part of it might be the way he grunts, perhaps a telegraph to foes.  To date, he’s had the better chin of the two. 

If he doesn’t catch Khan, chins won’t likely be a factor.  The question will then be who can outbox who?

While the tale of the tape says they are roughly the same height, Khan should be the taller man.  He’s also longer.  He carries Welterweight well and probably should have been closer to that his whole career.  Khan has a decided speed edge, something Alexander doesn’t face often. 

How will Khan apply his speed?  In recent fights, we’ve seen more holding.  Look to the corner.  He’s taking cues from the trainer of Andre Ward, Virgil Hunter.  Hunter has no issues with fan discontent and passes that along.  Khan outpunched Luis Collazo in his last fight.  He also gripped him with octopus care for long stretches.

It’s effective.

Expect it on Saturday.

Alexander will have to go to the body to slow that roll.  Body work played a big part in Alexander’s dominance of Maidana but it will have to be a careful game.  Khan is an underrated body puncher.  If they decide to aim for the flanks, Khan’s speed could give him chances to land first there too.

Both men need to win here.  Alexander took a lacing from Shawn Porter and a comeback win over Jesus Soto Karass is leagues different than what Khan will challenge him with.  Alexander isn’t as big a distance from Collazo for Khan but will inactivity be a factor?  Khan hasn’t fought much since the consecutive losses to Garcia and Peterson, going to scratch only three times since the summer of 2012.

The Pick

If Khan doesn't get clipped, and one assumes even Alexander could hurt him, he's got every advantage. Khan is quicker, longer, has more range, and under Hunter he’s very willing to hold.  When he’s not holding, he also had more pop.  Three knockdowns of Luis Collazo didn’t go unnoticed his last time out.  Alexander has struggled many times to be accurate and he’s going to have to find a moving target often.  Likely inaccuracy will give Khan time to settle if there is any rust.  Khan should have a strong night.  If the Mayweather call is the prize to be had, Mayweather-Khan may be only a fight away.  The pick is Khan by decision.

Report Card Picks 2014: 57-24

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel, the Yahoo Pound for Pound voting panel, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com