MGM Grand, Las Vegas – In a high stakes battle of former champions, Amir “King” Khan (30-3, 19KOs) shut down Devon Alexander (26-3, 14KOs) to win a convincing twelve round unanimous decision, and now is a likely candidate to face WBC/WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. (47-0, 26KOs) in 2015. The scores were 119-109, 118-110, 120-108.
The first round saw a battle of speed. Khan had the edge but Alexander seemed to rattle him up with a few punches at the end of the round. In the second, Khan was throwing punches in bunches to prevent Alexander from getting inside. Alexander was spending too much time waiting on Khan, who often took the opportunity to get off with combinations during those moments. Khan continued to win the chess match of punches in the fourth, getting off first.
Alexander did better in the fifth, but Khan continued to control the distance and got off better. Khan snatched the sixth with a big hook in the closing moments. Alexander pressing the action in the seventh and doing good work, yet it was Khan landing the more pleasing shots to the jaw. The action was heating up in the eight, with Khan long to land big combinations when Alexander would attempt to come inside. The tenth saw Alexander land few good shots, which Khan walked right through to counter with his own. Better work from Alexander in the eleventh, including a few shots that forced Khan back on his toes in the closing moments.
They were trading combinations in the twelfth, with both getting in their shots. Khan still controlled the distance to close out the final round.
