Devon Alexander vs. Amir Khan: Schedule and Predictions for Huge Las Vegas Bout
Without a major world title on the line, fights don't get much bigger than Saturday's clash from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Amir "King" Khan (29-3, 19 KO) takes on Devon Alexander "The Great" (26-2, 14 KO) with the winner potentially able to position himself for a fight with Floyd "Money" Mayweather. The bout takes place at 9 p.m. ET, and it will be televised by Showtime.
Getting Money's Attention
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Per Chris Williams of Boxing News 24, the pound-for-pound king will be watching Saturday night's proceedings.
Mayweather said:
"He [Khan] has been talking big. Saying if he wins then he should be talked about in the same breath as me. I have not decided on my next fight yet – and nobody’s big words is going to affect my decision. All I will say is I will be watching Amir with interest on Saturday."
Getting Money to see Khan as a compelling opponent would mean he has to not just defeat Devon Alexander—which won't be easy—but do it impressively.
Khan's suspect chin has been his downfall on two occasions. He was stopped by both Breidis Prescott and Danny "Swift" Garcia after absorbing huge left hooks. In battles with Marcos Rene Maidana and Julio Diaz, Khan was buzzed by hard shots but was able to weather the storm and hang on for a decision victory.
Another close call isn't likely to make Khan appear as a man fit for the next shot at Mayweather.
Alexander is a Long Shot
Win or lose, Alexander the Great doesn't seem like a likely opponent for Mayweather. He doesn't have the built-in fanbase that Khan has, and he has little notoriety outside the circle of hardcore boxing fans.
A spectacular knockout win over Khan would likely make Khan look bad more than it would make Alexander look good.
That's partly why the majority of talk you see concerning Mayweather is coming from Khan. Alexander seems to be resigned to the fact that he probably won't get a shot at Money.
Why Alexander Wins
The left hook has been the problematic punch for Khan in his career. He's also rarely faced an opponent whose speed was anywhere close to his. While Khan may have superior hand speed, Alexander's overall athleticism and dexterity are better.
He will look to get inside on Khan, much like Lamont Peterson did when he won a controversial decision over Khan in 2011. Khan doesn't fight well when he's crowded. Alexander and his team undoubtedly know this, and they should employ this strategy.
Khan talks about this in the interview below with IFL TV:
Alexander isn't a huge puncher, but against Khan, he may not need to be. Giving Khan credit for his heart and will, Alexander won't stop him, but expect to see Khan hit the canvas twice en route to a unanimous-decision loss to Alexander.
So much for Money.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.
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