By Ryan Burton
BoxingScene.com spoke to IBF/WBC junior welterweight champion Devon Alexander's trainer/manager Kevin Cunningham earlier today and Cunningham had this to say:
"Ryan, Devon and I spoke today and we decided that we want [Timothy] Bradley next. We aren't interested in all of these tune up fights and what not. Everyone agrees that Devon and Bradley are the best at 140 in the world. Let's see them prove it in the ring. Team Alexander doesn't need a tune up. Tim Bradley is our tuneup."
Alexander has a date on HBO in July locked up for his next fight. Bradley is scheduled to make his HBO debut on June 26th against Luis Carlos Abregu in a welterweight clash. Team Bradley has said they can't find anyone willing to fight him at junior welterweight but they have stated the move up in weight is for one fight only.
Cunningham went on to say, "If Bradley wants a tuneup first that is fine. He can fight his fight in June and we will fight in July. We are willing to sign on the dotted line today, right now, that we will fight Tim Bradley before the year is out. We want to fight the best fights out there. We want the fights that the fans want to see."
I asked Cunningham if they wanted to fight the Khan/Malignaggi winner after Bradley to try to unify all the titles and Cunningham became more antimated.
"The Khan fight is a joke. It is just a joke fighting Malignaggi. If they think he is so good why are they running from Marcos Maidana? We will fight Khan afterwards. We are in the belt collecting business. We want the titles and we want the fans to be happy. We would rather go right into a fight with Bradley but like I said if he wants to fight a tuneup first that is fine. We will sign to fight Bradley in November or December right now."
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