BRADLEY VS. ALEXANDER

Hey, Mr. Fischer, what's up? Anyway, saw Devon Alexander TKO Juan Urango, and am really impressed with this win. Timothy Bradley needs to face Alexander in his next fight. If the fight were to take place, what do you think would happen? My opinion, "The Great" would give "Desert Storm" a tough fight, but Bradley would take a close decision.

As for Vic Darchinyan, he was good against Rodrigo Guerroro, hope Donaire-Darchinyan II comes off. My predictions for the rest of the month, Joshua Clottey wins over Manny Pacquiao, though it's tough to not pick the Filipino, Eddie Chambers upsets Wladdy Klitschko, Steve Cunningham and Cory Spinks win their fights on the 26th, Andre Dirrell wins a close decision against Arthur Abraham, and Ali Funeka's gonna beat Joan Guzman and actually win the decision he should have won the first time.

Keep up the good work. -- Vasili Volkoff

Thanks Double V.

Whatever happens in the Funeka-Guzman rematch let’s hope the fighter that deserves to win it gets the right scorecards from the judges if it goes the distance (which it probably will).

Dirrell might be more motivated fighting in his home state (he would have been surrounded by loud-cheering Armenians in Rancho Mirage, Calif., this past Saturday) but I’m not sure if that’s going to be enough for him to get past the ultra-confident and freakishly strong King Arthur. I’ll say this, the Matrix has got a style that should trouble the former middleweight titleholder.

I see Cunningham delivering on March 26. I’m not so sure about Spinks.

I think Chambers will be more competitive against Klitschko than most folks I’ve talked to figure, but I still see the champ winning -- either by late stoppage or by decision.

Bold pick on this Saturday’s big fight. Kudos to you for having the balls to call it. I think Clottey gives Pacquiao a good fight, a competitive fight, but I see him losing another close decision (that he’ll probably think he won).

I also thought Darchinyan looked sharp against the green but super tough Mexican challenger. I think big punchers like Darch Vader and “my son” benefit from going rounds against durable hombres like Guerrero and DeMarco. The rock-solid chins of their challengers force them to fall back on their underrated (and underused) boxing skills.

If Donaire-Darchinyan II doesn’t happen at 115 pounds, I’d like to see either fighter step up to 118 pounds and fight the winner of Perez-Mares.

I was also impressed with Alexander’s stoppage of Urango (who wasn’t?) Next to Bradley-Valero, Bradley-Alexander is the fight I want to see the most at 140 pounds. That’s a fight that would feature a lot of speed, boxing, and heart. Right now I have to agree with your prediction but if Alexander gets another fight or two under his belt, I think it could become an even-money scrap.

FOUR OBSERVATIONS

First time mailer/long time reader hailing from England here.

1. I thoroughly enjoyed Saturday's Alexander-Urango bout. The fight made for an interesting clash of styles and was exciting throughout. I thought it was a little more competitive than people have made it out truth be told. I had Alexander ahead by a marginal distance at the time of the stoppage (rightly called by Benjy Esteves Jr.) though only one round was clear cut (the sixth) and so I wouldn't be too surprised to see people disagree with me there. Would be interested to see what other folks had it down as. Harold Lederman had it 69-64 but then I don't rate Harold very highly at all as a judge.

Before that terrific uppercut knocked the stuffing out of Urango I thought Urango was slowly making his way into the fight (though I was still expecting Alexander to pull out a UD.) He did very well though, he made mistakes but he did well to keep Urango at bay with nice use of a consistent jab and the knockdowns were excellent and unexpected.

2. I would love to see Alexander The Great matched up against Timothy Bradley in the near future. I think that would be a mouth watering match up and probably the best fight that can be made at Jr. Welterweight at the moment. Not really too keen on him taking on Zab Judah.

3. Clottey's a bigger test for Pacquiao than people are making it sound. I had Clottey winning by the slightest of margins against a Cotto that I don't think is as finished as other fight fans/scribes do and this will be the biggest fighter Pacquiao has ever faced in terms of weight. Clottey tends to come in at 160 pounds on fight night (though Roach sees this as a potential disadvantage for the Ghanaian) and though I don't think Clottey's getting the respect as an opponent that he deserves by the media and fight fans I look forward to PacMan putting a win on an opponent people can't make excuses about. Oscar was weight drained, Hatton's finished, Cotto's never been the same since Margarito etc. Sure they'll say Clottey's just not that good but anyone that knows boxing knows Clottey is a very strong opponent and most definitely a top 5 welterweight. I'm a betting man and I'll be sticking a fairly sizable amount on Pacquiao to take the victory by UD. As much as Roach has been touting it I just can't see Pacquiao stopping Clottey though that would be a terrific boost to his resume if he did (while also strengthening a small portion of boxing fans belief that he's doing all this with the aid of PEDs.)

4. Why is Lennox Lewis a HBO analyst? He sucks.

-- Charlie

Thanks for finally writing in Charlie. What took you so long? I’ll respond to your observations in order:

1. Although I though Alexander controlled the majority of the bout before closing the show, I had it close on the scorecards at the time of the stoppage. I scored four rounds for Alexander (1, 2, 4 and 5) and three rounds to Urango (3, 6, and 7). You and I were not alone in seeing a close fight through seven rounds. Two judges had Alexander winning by 68-65 and 67-66 margins and one judge had Urango ahead by 67-66.

2. Bradley-Alexander is a fight that should happen by the end of the year. Maybe Shaw and King can work together better than Gary and Arum do. I certainly hope so. I’d also like to see Pacquiao vacate THE RING’s 140-pound title (if he beats Clottey and decides to stay at 147 pounds, which we all know he will). That way there’s the possibility of

3. Whether Pacquiao wins by lopsided decision or by KO I think we can expect his victory to be slighted by a__holes in some manner. And if he doesn’t dominate he’ll likely be demoted from his pound-for-pound perch in favor of the winner of Mosley-Mayweather. It’s hard to be the king.

4. Lewis could be a lot better than he comes off. He understands the sport, craft and business of boxing. However, he’s not the kind of personality that likes to spout everything he knows throughout a fight. I think Bob and Max are going to have to dish him some assists in the form of questions throughout the fights in order bring him out of his broadcast shell. Off the air, the dude is brilliant in his analysis, but I think he clams up a bit once the mics go live. If there was more conversation between the commentators I think Lewis’ insight would come out. I thought he made some good observations during the Alexander-Urango fight. He’s not as good as Antonio Tarver is on Showtime‘s broadcasts, and probably never will be, but I think he has the ability to improve.

ALEXANDER VS. VALERO

Doug,
What do you think about a possible Alexander vs Valero match up at 140? Alexander looked like he has enough movement, pop, and most importantly focus to trouble Valero. Hope you had a good weekend! -- Anthony, San Diego

I think that would be a terrific matchup (who doesn’t?). Where can I buy tickets? LOL. Seriously, that would be one hell of a fight and it would feature more boxing than most would expect but it would be intense from the opening bell until somebody got caught and KTFO. Both guys have overcome a lot in in their lives to get to where they are. Both have behaved like grown men since the age of seven and they are both real fighters in the ring. No quit in either.

You know who I’d be picking. I saw some things in Alexander’s style that Valero would exploit the hell out of (repetitive jab-led combinations that can be timed, being susceptible to right hooks, and the impulse to trade when he gets tagged clean), but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be a good fight. Valero has his share of flaws, too.

ST. LOUIS SLUGGER

Dougie,
I always thought that Devon was good but not THAT good. Wow!

I'm not sure that the other 140 pounders would have beaten Urango in that fashion. Most of them would have taken the Berto route in winning. Or get KO’d by him with all that pressure he applies. Juan is a tough out. That was a big victory for the St. Lou slugger. Once I noticed he was punching in-between punches I knew Devon had taken the next step.

Vic D. is must see TV.

I believe Pac vs Clottey is gonna be real good. Too bad the undercard is a waste of time...hopefully I'm awake before the main event starts. DVR will be on for sure just in case. PAC by UD.

Peace. -- Frankie from the Bronx

Yeah, I think Top Rank could have put together a much better undercard for “The Event,” but who knows? Maybe Diaz-Soto and Castillo-Gomez will turn out to be barnburners. I wouldn’t be shocked if they did. All four fighters are come-forward slug-it-out types.

Of course, the most important thing is that the main event delivers action and drama and I think it will. I can’t wait to witness the opening bell for Pacquiao-Clottey in that stadium and feel the energy of 45,000 fans. It’s gonna be a thrill!

Agreed on Darchinyan. I want to see him take on the winner of Nashiro-Cazares II at 115 or Perez-Mares or Hasegawa-Montiel at 118. That’s if a rematch with Donaire can’t be made.

Believe it. Alexander is THAT good.

BANG THE DRUMS

Dougwesome,
Bang the drum for a 140 unification bout btw Alexander and Timmy! I thought Devon benefited from a quick stoppage, but Devon is still a BA. I thought he was being a little dishonest with his line about Juan not hurting him, but oh well. I do have a couple questions:

1. Martinez vs. Pavlik - too much speed and skill for Martinez or too much power and punch placement for Pavlik? I think Kelly is too strong for Martinez. He will end up walking him down and imposing his will. This will make people want for a P-will vs. Pavlik fight. and............

2. P-will vs. Killer - I like the Killer. This will be the first fight will P-will will taste power. Martinez is not a big puncher and he checked P-will. The Killer is great against people not named Margarito.

3. Mosley will beat Money. Not a question, more like a statement.

4. Last question, Tarver, better as a fighter or announcer?

Thx. -- JSY, Atl

I will bang the hell out of those drums, JSY.

1. Like you, I’m not sleeping Pavlik. Too many fans and boxing writers are. I know that Martinez has a style and the kind of talent to trouble any fighter, but just because Bernard Hopkins schooled Pavlik at 170 pounds doesn’t mean any boxer can dominate The Ghost. I see an even fight. Pavlik’s power, pressure, body shots and block-and-counter ability will give the Argentine hell.

2. We’ll see. I like the pressure and activity of Williams in this matchup but it’s a fight I’m looking forward to.

3. You know it!

4. Right now he’s a better fighter than commentator but I think he’s the best boxer-turned-broadcaster out there at the moment and he’s improving with each show.


ALEXANDER & DOUGIE'S BIGGEST FAN

Hey Doug,
Between the win over Junior Witter and what he did to Juan Urango last night, I think it’s safe to say that Devon Alexander has officially put the junior welterweight division on notice. Timothy Bradley is rightfully the guy in the division at this point, but it looks like Alexander is right there, breathing down his neck. I thought that Max Kellerman’s descriptions of Alexander were right-on, in that this is the type of fighter than fans really want to see. And, luckily for us fans, the division is loaded right now. Overall, it was a good night to kick off what’s shaping up to be a run of solid fights through the next few months.

So, who knew that Leonard Ellerbe was a Doug Fischer fan? Maybe you could mention to him the fact that, if you run around on a stage and bust your ass in front of a crowd of people, you are automatically disqualified from trying to act hard after you get up…just a thought. Thanks. -- Jesse, New Jersey

LOL. That was a funny scene, wasn’t it? But I must point out that Ellerbe didn’t approach me trying to “act hard” at the L.A. Mosley-Mayweather press conference. He mentioned the pony tail bet in a polite and respectful manner. In fact, he did so in a jovial manner. I didn’t have a problem with it. He’s part of the promotion and we were at a press event. There’s supposed to be some kind of exchange or discourse, right? He wanted get my word that I would give Mayweather credit for taking on a worthy opponent and I gave it to him. I will give Floyd his due respect if he beats Shane. And I also asked him about Mayweather Promtions other fighters, which he had no problem talking to me about. (I really am high on Jessie Vargas.)

I think Alexander should be considered the No. 2-rated junior welterweight behind Bradley. If they fight I’ll consider the winner the man at 140 pounds whether Pacquiao vacates his RING title or not.

Alexander is in the right division. Potential fights with Khan, Maidana and Ortiz are all fascinating matchups.


WHO WILL BE KING?

With Manny Pacquiao fighting Joshua Clottey on March 13 it seems that Pacquiao will win but on May 1 Mayweather will fight Mosley with Mayweather being Number 2 and Mosley Number 3 P4P so it seems that Pacquiao will no longer be P4P king. Is it true? -- Julio

It depends on how Pacquiao wins on Saturday. If he blows out Clottey and Mayweather-Mosley fight to a draw, maybe he’ll remain P4P King. If he struggles with Clottey and Floyd or Shane win in decisive fashion, my guess is that the Mayweather-Mosley winner will be the new P4P No. 1.

SOME THOUGHTS

What’s good Dougie. Props on the mailbags – they never fail to deliver.

3 points I’d like to discuss.

1. Firstly, Andre Ward hired Victor Conte to work in his camp for the Kessler fight. WOW! Is this man just plain stupid. There is only one reason to hire this piece of trash and that’s to take “stuff” which can be hidden in the tests. I’ve lost a lot of respect for SOG after this. Abraham will teach him a lesson in the super six final.

2. Secondly, am I the only guy who thinks that “Bad” Chad Dawson is the real deal. The man has the athleticism of Roy Jones Jr in his prime, and is now a complete fighter who can go 12 rounds. He may not be a knockout artist but makes up for it with excellent boxing technique and ring generalship. There is no one who can beat Dawson at light-heavyweight or at heavyweight, apart from maybe the Klitshcko’s. There is something great about this dude. Future P4P king baby. Also, not taking Pascal lightly but he did get beaten by Carl Froch.

3. And, can Pacquiao stop Clottey if he waits for the defence to drop and catches Joshua clean in the exchanges.

God Save the Queen. -- Akhil, UK

1. Conte did his time for his past crimes, he knows his s__t and he’s right there in the Bay Area. I don’t blame Ward for utilizing his nutritional know-how and I doubt Conte is still in the illegal PED trade. If he got busted again, he’d be ruined and have to go underground after getting out of the pen.

2. Pascal is stronger and better at 175 pounds than he was at 168. Don’t sleep on him. I think Dawson is a P4P top-10-level boxer and I favor him over the rest of the light heavyweight field, but I think he’d get destroyed at heavyweight. He doesn’t have the whiskers to play with the big boys.

3. I don’t think Pacquiao can KO Clottey but if he does it wouldn’t be first time the Filipino icon proved me wrong.