On Sunday afternoon at about 1:30 p.m., 23-year-old St. Louisan Devon Alexander will return home for one of the most anticipated fights involving a St. Louis fighter since Michael Spinks fought “Iron” Mike Tyson.
The talk and promises of a new champion continued from the challenger Andreas Koltelnik, and his trainer Stacey McKinley during a conference call with national and international media prior to Don King Productions’ three championship fights on one card Saturday August 7 at the Scottrade Center. Alexander headlines the card when he puts his junior welterweight belts on the line against Kotelnik.
Both Kotelnik and trainer Stacey McKinley were talking plenty of trash during the teleconference. McKinley once referred to the champ as a Mississippi “Mud Cat” Catfish and predicted that they would throw the champ in the Mississippi River when they were done with him after Kotelnik knocked Alexander out.
“We are going to win the championship and take your belts and your beautiful woman in St. Louis back to Ukraine with us,” McKinley said. “And don’t forget, this is an Olympic Silver medalist and former champion. We won’t be hard to find. We hope you fight us inside. This will be a horror movie for the both of you,” referring to Alexander and his trainer Kevin Cunningham.
The cool, calm Alexander and his trainer Kevin Cunningham responded, but in more confident tone.
“We don’t run five miles in the mountains, spar 40 rounds a week for six weeks to fight fighters that we have to overlook,” Cunningham said. “We want to fight top 10 fighters at 140 pounds – the best, former and current champions. We don’t hand-pick fighters. We don’t prepare and do business that way in this camp. We don’t overlook anybody. But I do know one thing: Devon’s going to retire this boy.”
From the very beginning, Team Alexander has been all business. And Devon, who has been working with Cunningham since he was seven years old, has always been above the curve when it comes to boxing and maturity as a young man.
“I don’t worry about getting the recognition,” Alexander said. “I will just continue to drive the car and continue to train and have faith in what I’m doing. It will all work out. I feel like it’s fate for me to be the best 140-pound champion in the world.”
So, it’s easy to see why Devon Alexander’s image is a dream come true because of his humble and polite style. So let’s all get out and support the champ’s return on Sunday in the main terminal and welcome him home for this very important fight.
The plot is thickening, and the “Countdown to the Showdown” is ticking down the seconds before fight night. And I personally can’t wait for the theater to start all next week.
You have three world title fights, the presence of legendary trainer Emmanuel Stewart, Buddy McKinley, Corey Spinks, Cloud vs. the old warrior who knocked Roy Jones Jr. out in Glenn Johnson, Florida Hall of Fame trainer Al Bonanni, and of course the main event, Alexander vs. Kotelnik.
As Don King says, “You have David vs. Goliath in the main event. It’s a battle between two tremendous warriors and the champ Devon Alexander ‘The Great’ returning home. Something has to give.”
I can’t wait!
