By Peter Wells: Saturday night Devon Alexander unified the WBC and IBF 140lb titles in an enthralling 8th round stoppage victory of Colombian tough man, Juan Urango. Both fighters were in superb condition, but the quicker fighter from St Louis was too much for the plodding Urango.

Juan tried to get back into the fight by brawling, but Alexander was always in and out of range when he wanted to be.

The already superb performance from Devon was topped off with a spectacular knockout in the 8th. A thunderous uppercut sent Urango down like never before in his career, before another rally of punches had him down and out.

Round 1: Alexander starts on the back foot, throwing plenty of jabs as Urango plods forward, head down, guard up. Devon unleashes a 3 punch combo including an uppercut in there. Alexander uses the old Mayweather trick with the shoulder to dodge to punches from Urango. The two southpaws fight almost in completely different styles, with Devon fighting in a diagonal stance, while Juan fights almost at a straight on angle, to allow him to unload his vicious left quicker. Urango tries to get down to Devon’s body before the two hold for a split second. Alexander is loosing his concentration a little at the end; he gets caught with a nice right hook despite how slow Urango throws his shots.

10-9 Alexander

Round 2: Devon starts well, using the ring space well and keeping out a range after he throws. Urango looking livelier though and wants to keep Alexander working, see if he can keep the pace. Antonio big uppercut landing by Alexander, and the punch stats show us that Urango needs to throw a lot more, only throwing 11 punches this round compared to Alexander’s 40. How can you give a guy throwing 4 times less punches the rounds, he needs to work more?

10-9 Alexander

Round 3: Urango comes out positively, throwing a bunch of shots, but Devon swoops away from the ropes while unloading a quick double jab, the speed of the jab is amazing. Devon using the uppercut as a bit of a trademark blow now, easily getting through that peak-a-boo guard of Urango’s. Urango is bleeding from the nose and is cut over his left eye, but they don’t faze him. Urango landing well with his right hook and once again gets through in a heated exchange. Much closer round could have gone either way.

10-9 Urango

Round 4: Bob Papa says that the right hand is all Urango needs, but if that is all he’s using there is no way he can win the rounds. Just because he’s landing well with it doesn’t mean he takes the rounds, and Alexander hasn’t been down before so going for the one punch KO isn’t a good idea. Urango makes Alexander work as Devon’s adjusts to blocking those rights. Urango can’t land those rights and he really needs to adjust more to get through Devon’s guard, maybe got to the body more.

10-9 Alexander

Round 5: Alexander starting well with the jab again, but Urango is starting to get through again with that right hand. Both fighters throw punches back and forth.

10-9 Alexander

Round 6: Devon looks pretty comfortable in there, not being made to work too hard. Urango trying to get through but is being consistently caught with the jab and the left hand. Urango is really going for it now, throwing plenty of big shots, some landing, but most are blocked or dodged by the slick Alexander. Antonio sustained attack to the body by Juan, Urango is really letting his hands go as we near the end of the 6th, this is what Urango needs to keep doing, ruin Alexander’s game plan.

10-9 Urango

Round 7: Alexander just catches Urango on the counter, Juan just slipping away quickly. Urango had a perfect chance to attack Alexander while he was on the ropes, but decided to wait and got caught by a 4 punch combo to the head. Much closer round, but Alexander was more accurate with his shots.

10-9 Alexander

Round 8: The two fighters exchange, AND WHAT AN UPPERCUT!! That was spectacular, absolutely out of nowhere; Juan Urango’s down and looks in a daze from that, can he carry on? He’s up, and tries to come back, but is back down from another uppercut. IT’S ALL OVER!! THE REFS CALLED IT OFF!!! Juan Urango pleads with the referee while Alexander goes off to celebrate, what a victory. It was going to end pretty soon, but it may have been an early stoppage, but it saved Urango a lot of punishment, so I’m glad he stopped it.

Alexander W TKO 8

Devon has a bright future ahead for sure, there are fighters like Amir Khan, Timothy Bradley, Marcos Maidana and the list could go on. Personally I’d like to see him against Maidana next and then a match up with Bradley or Khan. As for Urango, a tough guy like him craves off a comeback and his ambition to fight the top 140lbers is still very much alive, maybe a fight with Lamont Peterson or Edwin Valero. The latter would be a cracker.