Alexander impressed with Maidana, but thinks he can beat him

By Boxing News - 03/29/2010 - Comments

Image: Alexander impressed with Maidana, but thinks he can beat himBy William Mackay: IBF/WBC light welterweight champion Devon Alexander (20-0, 13 KO’s) was at ringside to watch World Boxing Association light welterweight interim champion Marcos Maidana (28-1, 27 KO’s) put away number #1 WBA contender Victor Cayo (24-1, 16 KO’s) in the 6th round last Saturday night the Hard Rock Café, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Alexander, 23, had this to say in an interview by Greg Leon of Boxing Talk, “I was very impressed with Maidana’s performance. He’s a straight up beast, but I’m telling you right now, I will tame him.”

Alexander wants to fight Maidana next if possible. It could happen because Maidana is looking for big fights and a fight against Alexander is as big as they come. Maidana looked incredibly powerful in putting away Cayo, as he walked through every shot that Cayo threw just to get close enough to blast at away at him. Cayo, for his own part, looked a lot better than I had expected him to. He took a lot of criticism by some boxing fans for the way he sometimes slaps with his punches and doesn’t sit down on them.

However, against Maidana, Cayo was throwing hard leather for five rounds, and connected with a high percentage of his punches. Alexander can punch a little, has a nice left hook and uppercut, as well as a hard jab. But I don’t see Alexander being any more powerful than Cayo, and he’s certainly not as hard a hitter as Maidana. I think Alexander, if he takes the fight, would have a lot of problems with Maidana.

He’s a lot quicker on his feet than Juan Urango, who Alexander defeated by an 8th round stoppage earlier this month, and is a better pressure fighter. Maidana would get to Alexander and work him over at close range. Alexander would have his moments in the fight, just as Cayo did’nt, but Maidana just doesn’t stop coming for an instance. He’s not slow like Urango and would be on top of Alexander the entire fight. At only 5’7”, Alexander wouldn’t have the height or reach to try and dominate the 5’9” Maidana from the outside.

That probably wouldn’t work anyway, but it’s the only thing that Alexander could do to avoid getting caught up in a war with Maidana. The thing is Maidana is suited for this kind of fighting because of his iron chin and power. I don’t think Alexander could take 12 rounds of trading shots with Maidana. Besides Urango, Alexander hasn’t really been in with any big punchers. He does have a 12 round decision victory over DeMarcus Corley in 2008, but Corley did nothing in that fight and just looked like he wasn’t there mentally for some reason.

It’s hard to tell whether Alexander would be able to hold under heavy fire for 12 rounds like the type of shots he’d be getting nailed with by Maidana. One thing is for sure, Alexander wouldn’t be able to get out of this fight unscathed like he did against an old Junior Witter and a slow moving Urango. Maidana would make sure to that.



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