By Ryan Burton
BoxingScene.com has been advised that former two-division champion Devon Alexander (26-4) will return to the ring on October 3rd in a Fox Sports 1 main event against Walter Castillo (26-4-1).
Alexander has been out of the ring since losing an unanimous decision against Aaron Martinez in October, 2015. The fight was his second loss in a row after also losing a decision to Amir Khan.
The St. Louis native has since turned around his life after overcoming an addiction to prescription painkillers and is now training with his long time trainer Kevin Cunningham at Cunningham's new gym down in Florida.
The fight will likely take place in Orlando with Jervontae Stanks (13-2) facing an opponent to be determined in the co-feature slot.
IN OTHER NEWS: Ruben Villa (7-0, 4 KOs), one of boxing's young talents in the featherweight division, recently received an award for his community building presence in his hometown of Salinas, Calif.
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors recognized Team Villa Boxing, a non-profit gym, for creating a safe space for low-income youths in East Salinas. Through grants, Team Villa Boxing offers free boxing and physical fitness lessons to select youths.
"I was really surprised that we were honored with the award because we only found out about it the day before," Villa said. "We are obviously very happy about it, but we don't do it for the recognition. It's all about helping the community. There's not much opportunity out here so we have to give the kids additional chances to succeed."
"Ruben cares about his community and wants to be a positive role model to the local kids," said Danny Zamora, Villa's manager. "The gym offers a safe and productive outlet for young kids and keeps them from getting into trouble."
For those that are unaware, Salinas has an ongoing struggle with drug related gang violence. The Villa family, in an effort to pull local kids away from a life of crime, formed the gym three years ago. When not conducting training camps in Riverside, Calif., Villa stays sharp at the gym that bears his name.
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