Devon Alexander vs. Amir Khan: Winner, Scorecard and Analysis

Box and move, box and move. Such is the mantra for a fighter who relies on speed and guile to earn a living between the ropes. Amir Khan utilized his cobra-like striking ability and long range to great, stylish effect in a 12-round, unanimous-decision victory over Devon Alexander on Saturday night.

Khan (30-3, 19 KOs) outboxed and outfoxed Alexander (26-3, 14 KOs) for 36 minutes of welterweight action in the main-event bout at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, moving to 7-0 in his career against southpaws. It was one of the best performances of Khan's career and should set him up for a spectacular 2015.

Alexander couldn't avoid what he couldn't see coming from Khan, taking far too many punches while having trouble getting close enough to his opponent to free his hands and land combinations of his own.

Showtime Sports provided a look at the scorecard:

Eric Jamison/Associated Press

Khan—working the canvas at 147 pounds for just the second time in his career—came into the bout looking to establish himself as a top contender in the welterweight ranks. He hoped fans would see this match and develop an appetite for a match between him and Floyd Mayweather.

"I want the boxing fans around the world to demand a fight between me and Floyd," said Khan prior to the bout, per a report from BBC.com. The boxing world will likely take notice of the 28-year-old after his display against Alexander.

Khan's hand speed was apparent early on. He kept the fight in the center of the ring and stung a defensive Alexander several times in the first round with quick three-punch combinations, often leading with a biting left jab and then quickly moving out of range once his punches were thrown. It was a typical start for the British-Pakistani fighter.

Alexander caused his opponent a bit of trouble at the end of the first round, pushing out of a clinch and landing a blow to the back of Khan's head. The St. Louis native tried to pick his spots in the second round but was simply no match for Khan's blazing speed early on, and the latter got the better of the early exchanges. 

Showtime Stats had the power-punch numbers through two rounds:

The fight continued apace for the next several rounds. Alexander's southpaw stance was little impediment to Khan's strategy. The Bolton man's footwork was excellent, and he utilized his long legs and 71-inch jab to control the distance and make it tough for Alexander to set up his devastating right hook. 

Khan's own left hook proved effective when Alexander came forward and dropped his guard on the right side. Boxing commentator Al Bernstein noted it was key to Khan's success early on in the fight, via Showtime Sports:

Alexander tried to alter the course of the fight by showing greater movement in the fifth round. Khan responded fairly well to this development and landed a crunching straight right at the end of the fifth that caught Alexander flush on the nose.

There was little in this fight for the 27-year-old Alexander until perhaps the eighth round, when a few minor lapses in concentration from Khan allowed him to get in close and open up with a couple of strong combinations.

Alexander kept working to close down Khan and finally pegged him with a few straight lefts and a fierce right hook. However, Khan quickly got back to his likely infuriating box-and-move strategy and avoided taking too much damage on his suspect chin. Still, the round belonged to Alexander, but only by a slim margin.

At no point did Khan, who lacks elite power, look like he was searching for a knockout in the bout. He played to his strengths, opting for speed, movement and controlling the distance.

John Locher/Associated Press

Both fighters let the punches fly a bit more often in the later rounds, with Alexander connecting on some solid straight lefts but getting nowhere close to taking points away from Khan or wearing him down for a knockout blow. Alexander had trouble finding the range with his jab and was never able to mount much of an offense.

The jab stats after 10 rounds show just how great of a disparity Khan created in the fight, via Showtime Stats:

Khan appraised his own performance after the bout, per Showtime Sports:

Alexander was overmatched from the opening bell but kept the fight exciting by refusing to back down and working hard to change the tide of the fight late in the match. Khan was calm, controlled and undeniably cool throughout the fight. Al Jazeera's Hyder Abbasi summed up the performance of the winner:

With this display, Khan could very well get the marquee match he so desperately craves. His speed would indeed pose a distinct problem for the aging Mayweather, but Khan may have to wait a while for his dream to become a reality.

A bout between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is all the boxing world wants to see right now. Khan can supply a good show, but he can't yet drum up the demand in a crowded welterweight world.