By Rick Reeno
One champion down and two to go. Last Saturday in Connecticut, Alexander retained his WBC junior welterweight title, and added the IBF title to his collection with an impressive eight round knockout of iron-chinned Juan Urango. The stage is set for a possible fight with Zab Judah, who jumped in the ring and challenged Alexander during his live post-fight interview with HBO. BoxingScene.com spoke with Alexander's manager/trainer Kevin Cunningham on Tuesday afternoon.
Cunningham told me Judah is the current "frontrunner" to get the fight with Alexander. A potential fight date may land in the month of July. Alexander and Cunningham would like the fight to take place in their hometown of St. Louis. Judah is up for a fight in St. Louis, the place where he took short money to stop Cory Spinks for the undisputed welterweight title in 2005.
However, I am one of those people who are not convinced about Judah's ability to make the junior welterweight limit. The last time Judah made 140-pounds was back in 2003. Since leaving the welterweight division in 2008, Judah has weighed 143, 144 and a high of 145 for his last fight in November. Judah has yet to make the division limit of 140, and I have a feeling it's a struggle to get there.
Cunningham wants the Judah fight in the summer and then a unification with WBO champion Timothy Bradley in the winter.
"We are going to put the heat on Zab in the summer, and ice Bradley in the winter," Cunningham told BoxingScene.com.