Unless you’re in protective custody, you can’t ever be comfortable in jail or prison if you’re wearing what is known as a “rat jacket.” Fellow inmates have no love for snitches. Perhaps the worst jacket a pro boxer can wear is that of a quitter. Which reminds me that only rank juveniles ever make the argument that you can’t criticize fighters unless you’ve been in the ring. I am modest about my Golden Gloves and collegiate fights because, trust me, I had much to modest about. I was swift of hand and of foot but, while floating like a butterfly, I could only sting like a moth. (One cold, winter night in New Bedford, Mass., I got stopped by a kid from Providence named Eugene Palmer but rhe ref came to my rescue.) But because I’ve given and received some punches, I am loathe to label any fighter as a quitter without solid evidence.
Sometimes, and I think this applies to 23 year old Devon Alexander and his 10th round exit Saturday night from a bout he was losing widely on points to busy bee Timothy Bradley, discretion really is the better part of valor.
Alexander wasn’t going to win the fight. No way, Don Jose, was he ever going to put the mucscular (is that a 12 pack?) Bradley down or out. And no way could he catch up to eke out a decision without sweeping rounds 10, 11 and 12 and that wasn’t going to occur, either. Bradley was rolling along. Like any young fighter, Alexander’s got a liveliehood, a career, to protect. Whether something seeped from the cut above his right eye or not, he did get head rammed by Human Billygoat Bradley several times, the worst being the final accidental butt. Some will quibble and say that ramming was done intentionally but that’s moronic. Bradley and his corner knew he was comfortably in front on the scorecards so why take a risk of losing by DQ or even having a point or two deducted from the head slamming? Bradley needs to adjust his offensive style to stop his constant butting and I bet he will tone it down. Bottom line on Alexander? I say neither Devon or his manager-trainer Kevin Cunningham, whose X-rated corner vocabularly sounds like Richard Pryor cutting loose, have anything to apologize for here. Alexander gave a good effort but Bradley was like a steamroller, albeit a steamroller without real power. Alexander was not The Great. He lost to the very good Bradley. But, at the tender age of 23, there will be many other fights, many other nights. Devon did not run away and he was in real pain. He lives to fight another day and I, for one, don’t blame him for not persisting. His was a lost cause and “going out on your shield” is overrated. The light-hitting Bradley could’ve won on the cut but he wasn’t going to stretch Alexander out. Alexander showed valor and discretion. Good for him.
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