By Dan Ambrose: After having looked poor in his last three fights, former IBF/WBC light welterweight champion Devon Alexander (22-1, 13 KO’s) will be moving up to the welterweight division because of his problems making the light welterweight division limit of 140 lbs. Alexander, 24, will immediately target former IBF light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi in his first fight at welterweight.

However, Malignaggi is currently injured and it’s unclear if he’ll want any part of fighting Alexander, especially after seeing him win another controversial decision while fighting at home at home in Saint Charles, Missouri. Malignaggi might not want to be on the losing end of a controversial decision after losing a controversial decision to Juan Diaz in the past.

In an article at ESPN, Alexander’s manager Kevin Cunningham said “That’s out last fight at 140. He’s killing himself so bad to make the weight. After six rounds, his legs aren’t there because he killed himself so bad to make 140. He’s been making 140 since he was 15, and an amateur. How he’s a 24-year-old man.”

Alexander looked tired and weak in all three of his last few rights, and there’s a good argument you can make that without the fights taking place in his home city he might have lost all three of them. However, Alexander’s not a huge puncher and is thin-boned with a small frame. It’s difficult to see him competing with the likes of Victor Ortiz, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. Alexander would be a lot like Britain’s Kell Brook, only a little faster. Alexander is good enough become a paper champion but that’s about all I can see him doing. For the time being, Alexander might have to look for someone other than Malignaggi in case he’s not so keen on fighting Alexander in Saint Louis and risking losing a controversial decision of his own. Malignaggi is trying to rebuild his career. The last thing he needs is to get beaten by a controversial decision in Alexander’s home town.