Alekseev Stops Releford in Three in Hamburg, Germany

Jul 4, 2009 • 12:00 AM ET

By Mark Vester

At the Color Line Arena, Altona, Hamburg, Germany, cruiserweight contender Alexander Alekseev (18-1, 16KOs) stopped Kendrick Releford (20-13-2, 10KOs) after three rounds. After being outclassed in the early going, Releford, bruised and cut, made a decision to not come out for the fourth round.

Everyone was calling Alekseev the next big thing at cruiserweight, until he was stopped by Victor Emilio Ramirez last January. Since that loss he's been able to make it two in a row. The Releford win was good because the American journeyman was more of heavyweight opponent for most of his career and showed a good chin by going the distance with much bigger men like Chazz Witherspoon, Robert Hawkins, Tye Fields and Alexander Dimitrenko. The only prior opponent to stop Releford was DaVarryl Williamson and that took nine rounds.