Following his 11th round TKO victory over Paulie Malignaggi, Lancashire native Amir Khan was in high spirits. Having just defended his WBA Jr. Welterweight belt with much honor, Khan was finally able to look past the immense trash talk that existed between him and Malignaggi and took a look at the future.
Khan told HBO commentator Max Kellerman that he is ready to face the division?s best, stating he would be open to facing power-punching interim champion Marcos Maidana. Khan elaborated further that a showdown between titlists Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander would make sense, with the two winners eventually linking up down the road.
Hearing Khan?s proclamations was certainly a breath of fresh air and one man who is in the same boat is Alexander?s trainer, Kevin Cunningham. Unfortunately, despite all of his desires, the St. Louis native simply doesn?t see it happening any time soon.
?That fight is not happening anytime soon and if it?s up to the Bradley camp that fight will probably never happen,? Cunningham recently claimed or a possible Bradley-Alexander bout. ?We don?t have a problem with Bradley fighting in July and Devon fighting in August and using those two fights to build up a fall showdown between the two. But every time you listen to the Bradley camp they are talking about 2 to 3 fights down the road or a year and half, two years down the road. In that time anything could happen in the sport of boxing.?
What seems to frustrate Cunningham more than anything is the fact that Alexander constantly seems to be overlooked when assessing the 140 and 147 pound landscapes. While members from the camps of Bradley and Khan have stated their desires to face some of the sport?s biggest names it is Cunningham who feels that there are matters in the Jr. Welterweight ranks to get taken care of before anything else.
?We just feel that if you want to get in conversations with the Mayweathers and the Pacquiaos that you should take care of business in your own weight class first,? Cunningham continued. ?Then that would justify Tim Bradley or Amir Khan being in the conversation with the Mayweathers or the Pacquiaos. I just have a problem when I hear the Bradley camp or Khan camp talking like that when they aren?t the best in their own division yet. I got a problem with that. They aren?t willing to take the fights to prove they are the best. Devon is ready to fight Tim Bradley or Amir Khan right now.?
Cunningham noted that Alexander isn?t tied to either his IBF or WBC mandatory at the moment and there have recently been rumors of an August 7th date with former champion Andriy Kotelnik in the works. It certainly has been a long road for Alexander and there isn’t anyone better fit to elaborate on his progression than Cunningham, who has mentored him since he was a youth.
?First of all he fell in love with boxing the first time he came into the gym,? Cunningham remembered vividly. ?He?s been in the gym every day. He hasn?t missed a day since he was seven years old. It?s just his dedication, his work ethic, and drive. That?s what made me realize he could be something special.?
Cunningham grew up in St. Louis and claims to have been around boxing his whole life. He points out that he is constantly watching tapes of Alexander and working on certain things that need ?tightened? inside of the gym to ensure his fighter continues to flourish. It?s obvious in hearing him speak that he is extremely gratified to see Alexander get as far as he has gotten yet still disappointed that they haven?t been able to take the next step.
?It?s been great,? Cunningham said. ?All of the hard work has paid off. He has earned everything he has gotten. He?s a unified champion, he?s fighting on HBO, and he?s just ready to fight the fights. When we got on HBO and we won these titles we didn?t think there would be a problem making these fights. It?s a shame the politics of the sport are preventing the best fight from being made and that?s a real shame.?
Coming full circle on the conversation Cunningham was asked his thoughts on a possible Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather bout. With both men only one weight class above his own fighter, Cunningham can?t help but look at each man as a possible future foe but concedes that it makes the most sense to see them fight each other next.
?First of all I think Floyd Mayweather is the best fighter in boxing. He will probably go down as one of the best fighters to ever do it. As far as the Mayweather-Pacquiao situation, I think that both sides need to come to some kind of agreement. A fight of that magnitude really shouldn?t have something like drug testing prevent it from happening. I think Pacquiao should probably conform to some sort of testing. Both sides needs to come to some kind of agreement for the testing.?
For more images of Devon Alexander, Amir Khan, Timothy Bradley, and others please visit the ?Boxing in pictures? image directory by clicking on the collage below?
