Devon Alexander-Andriy Kotelnik: Pre-Fight Report Card
By Cliff Rold
Making the eighth hometown start of his career, fighting in St. Louis will be nothing new for WBC/IBF Jr. Welterweight titlist Devon Alexander.
It won’t be the same either.
Long regarded as one of the great American sports towns in terms of fan support and enthusiasm, the gateway to the west has shown that it can get behind boxing as strongly as it has the NFL and Major League Baseball. Alexander should know; he was in the ring to see it for himself early on.
On February 5, 2005, Alexander made the third start of his professional career on a remarkable night at the Savvis Center in St. Louis. He won a six round decision before seeing hometown hero Cory Spinks lose the Welterweight crown to Zab Judah in front of a rocking crowd of more than 22,000.
Times change. Spinks is still a St. Louis favorite and will be a big part of this latest Savvis foray. Off T.V., Spinks will defend the IBF Jr. Middleweight strap against Contender alum Cornelius Bundrage, a supporting role while the spotlight shifts to Alexander. Is Devon “The Great” ready to pick up the ball and become the new Midwestern star?
Let’s go to the report card.
The Ledgers
Devon Alexander
Age: 23
Title: WBC Jr. Welterweight (August 2009-Present, 1 Defense); IBF Jr. Welterweight (2009-Present, 1st Attempted Defense)
Previous Titles: None
Height: 5’7
Weight: 138.75 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 139.45 lbs.
Hails from: St. Louis, Missouri
Record: 20-0, 13 KO
BoxingScene Rank: #2 at Jr. Welterweight
Record in Major Title Fights: 2-0, 2 KO
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 3 (DeMarcus Corley, Junior Witter, Juan Urango)
Vs.
Andriy Kotelnik
Age: 32
Titles: None
Previous Titles: WBA Jr. Welterweight (2008-09, 2 Defenses)
Height: 5’7 ½
Weight: 139.5 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 139.95 lbs.
Hails From: Hamburg, Germany (Born in Ukraine)
Record: 31-3-1, 13 KO
BoxingScene Rank: #5 at Jr. Welterweight
Record in Title Fights: 3-1-1, 1 KO
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 1 (Gavin Rees)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced in Defeat or Draw: 3 (Souleymane M’Baye, Junior Witter, Amir Khan)
Pre-Fight Grades
Pre-Fight: Speed – Alexander A; Kotelnik B
Pre-Fight: Power – Alexander B; Kotelnik C+
Pre-Fight: Defense – Alexander A-; Kotelnik B+
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Alexander A; Kotelnik B
Alexander’s speed is complimented by excellent fundamentals. In winning his first title from Witter, and then shockingly stopping the hard chinned Urango, Alexander showed off an expert ability to dictate the distance of fights. Witter and Urango were seemingly always where Alexander wanted them to be as he applied timed counters off a snappy jab. His footwork plays a critical role and he rarely makes the mistake of going straight back.
Kotelnik will show him a similar strong base of fundamentals. The Ukrainian is, like so many fighters from his corner of the globe, a steady professional who keeps his hands up, jabs, and chooses his offense wisely. Against most fighters on the world class level, his consistent professionalism can set him apart. It was the difference against the power and raw aggression of Marcos Maidana in a competitive 2009 win. There is little flair to behold, little in the way of improvisation.
Against Alexander, that is where Kotelnik could struggle.
Lacking the sort of power which can turn the fight around in an instant, Kotelnik’s steadiness can become predictability against a superior athlete. Kotelnik’s close loss to Junior Witter and blowout decision defeat to Khan serve as evidence. The Khan loss may also be a sign of aging. Kotelnik had never been run before but, after a lengthy amateur tenure before a decade as a pro, the mileage he’s collected could be an issue on Saturday.
Perhaps Khan though was a styles fight and overrated in gauging this affair. The British star is long armed and stood a few inches taller than Kotelnik. The shorter Alexander will be a closer target, in theory, and is more willing to play in the pocket than the skittish Khan.
That doesn’t mean Kotelnik will land what he needs to win. Alexander’s reflexes and schooling make him comfortable in the pocket and will allow him to counter when he’s not leading. Kotelnik’s high arm defense could handcuff him when Alexander lets go in combination and, by the time the Ukrainian reacts, Alexander should be resetting to start again. To his credit, Alexander has shown himself ready for the level he’s reaching and shown the ability to improve inside the moments when he needs to. Witter and Urango both were more professionally experienced, just as Kotelnik is.
They proved professionally inferior.
The Pick
Kotelnik will too.
The race for king in the loaded Jr. Welterweight class is a two man race right now between Alexander and Timothy Bradley with Amir Khan coming up just behind them. This division is where a tomorrow’s pound-for-pound debate is being given birth and Alexander has the look of someone who can play that game.
This may not be his first fight at home, but it’s a homecoming and should be a successful one. Look for Alexander to have to work a little bit early before pulling away to dominate for a late stoppage or cruising decision on Saturday night.
Report Card Picks 2010: 17-10
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com