By Dan Ambrose: Last weekend light welterweight contender Lucas Matthysse (28-2, 26 KO’s) lost a controversial 12 round split decision to former IBF/WBC light welterweight champion Devon Alexander (22-1, 13 Ko’s) in a fight that took place in Alexander’s home state and nearby city of Saint Charles, Missouri. The final judges’ scores were 96-93, 95-94 for Alexander and 96-93 for Matthysse.

Many boxing fans and writers that saw the fight had Matthysse winning the fight. However, like a lot of fights go that take place in other fighters home towns, it can be very difficult to win a decision against the home town fighter. For Alexander, this is the second time in his last three fights that he has won a decision over an opponent that has gone against what many boxing fans have felt who the fight.

Perhaps this is why WBO light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley and his promoter Gary Shaw wanted no part of fighting Alexander in his home town of Saint Louis and opted instead to play it safe and fight in Detroit, Michigan, despite neither fighter having any real fan base there. As it turned out, it might have been a wise decision as Bradley was able to win a 10th round technical decision in that fight. Matthysse, for his part, wasn’t so lucky and had to be content with losing a fight that many people thought he should have won. All before the fight there was talk that Matthysse needed a knockout to get the win and that he wouldn’t be given a decision against Alexander in his home town.

Gary Shaw had this to say about it on his twitter: “That is why we took Bradley to Detroit. That is where Matthysse should have fought. He would have won.”

Matthysse may have learned a painful lesson from this. He may need to be more assertive in the future when looking to get fights. Sure, he can take the better money by fighting in another fighters home town, but what good is the money if he only has a knockout chance to win?

As for Alexander, this win, another controversial one for him at home, could make it hard for him to get the bigger named fighters to want to travel to his home city to fight him. Of course, if Alexander can win a title it won’t matter. He’ll be able to fight at home regardless, but it’s not going to endear him to HBO to see him winning fights that fans are thinking he’s losing. Alexander hasn’t looked good in quite some time since win over Juan Urango last year. Now three fights later where Alexander has looked poor, it’s hard to ignore that he’s not looking like he’s going to be a big star that HBO was hoping he would be. Winning one controversial in a year is one thing, but when you’re winning controversial decisions over and over again, there’s something not right there.