Briggs destroys Alexander in one round, then baits Wladimir Klitschko

By Boxing News - 05/22/2010 - Comments

by Pavel Yakovlev: Former WB) world heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs stopped Dominique Alexander tonight at 20 seconds of the first round. Alexander was counted out after taking two devastating left hooks to the body. In total, Briggs needed only three punches to win the fight: one left hook to the head, followed by the fight-ending body blows. Alexander, who at 228 lbs. was physically over-matched by the 268 lbs. Briggs, writhed in pain as the referee tolled the count. Briggs showed no caution or hesitancy, pouncing on Alexander from the opening bell and winning easily with overwhelming handspeed, aggression, and power. Briggs’ record now stands at 50-5-1 (44 kayos). Alexander drops to 19-9-1 (nine kayos).

After the bout, a jubilant Briggs talked aggressively about seeking fights with current champions David Haye and the Klitschko brothers. Concerning Vladimir, Briggs stated, “Of course he’s ducking me. He knows I’m the only heavyweight out there who can match his size, and I’ve got the speed and power to take him out of there. He’s always ducked me.” Briggs also stated that, based on his observations during past encounters with Vladimir, that the champion is psychologically vulnerable. “He’s afraid of me…I can see it in him,” explained Briggs. “At a press conference three years ago he was intimidated by me. Plus, I’ve seen him in public; when he deals with me, he looks away and stutters.”

Interestingly, Briggs will have face-to-face encounters with the Klitschko brothers and Haye this July, as all four heavyweights are scheduled to attend the WBC’s Night of Champions festival in Cardiff. “I’ll psych him out again,” remarked Briggs of his upcoming encounter with the champion. When asked about Vitali, Briggs replied, “He’s just a chump.” David Haye was especially singled out for scorn; Briggs laughed derisively at the thought of Haye. When asked about the Englishman, Briggs scoffed and replied, “Oh, come on…he’s not even worth talking about. Haye is just a chump.” Of note is that Briggs has a long standing reputation for intimidating opponents before fights. Many fans will recall Briggs’s WBC championship win over Sergei Lyakhovich several years ago: it is widely believed that Briggs had Lyakhovich mentally beaten before the fight began.

Tonight’s card, promoted by Empire Sports & Entertainment, was held at Capitale NYC in New York City. The crowd included many fans from Brownsville, the section of Brooklyn where Briggs grew up. The Brownsville contingent cheered Briggs spiritedly after the bout, and he thanked them for inspiring his boxing comeback.

UNDERCARD ACTION

LIGHTWEIGHT: Michael Faragon (11-0; five kayos) TKO5 Francisco Palacios (4-11; one kayo) – Palacious retired after the fifth round due to an injured shoulder. Until the end, the bout was competitive and scrappy.

WELTERWEIGHT: Hastings Bwalya (3-0; two kayos) UD6 Ashantie Hendrickson (2-7; one kayo) – A brilliant performance by the Zambian Bwalya; he exhibits superb hand and foot speed, fluid body movement, a high punch output, and tricky footwork.

LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT: Seanie Monaghan (1-0; one kayo) TKO1 Simeon Trigueno (0-4; no kayos) – Monaghan delights his hometown fans with non-stop aggression and power. Trigueno goes down twice from heavy, straight right hands.

LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT: Angel Concepcion (1-0; no kayos) UD4 Charles Wade (1-6; one kayo) – A competitive, fast paced fight, but Concepcion dominates the action with his right cross. Wade was floored once in the first by a big right, and hurt several times by the same punch later in the bout.

HEAVYWEIGHT: Bowie Tupua (19-1; 15 kayos) TKO2 Alexis Mejias (10-5; four kayos) – Mejias was forced to retire after the second with a broken hand. In the first, Mejias shocked the crowd by hurting and flooring Tupua with a huge overhand right. The fighters traded blows on even terms in the second round. A disappointing and surprising ending to a competitive, suspenseful fight.

LIGHTMIDDLEWEIGHT: Salim Ali (7-0; four kayos) UD4 Martinus Clay (0-1) – Ali dominates the action with his excellent hand and foot speed, in addition to displaying superb boxing skill.



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