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(the quote about the fight being made is at the end of this article)
Gary Shaw was not impressed after watching junior welterweight (140 pounds) Devon Alexander (pictured above, at right) defend his WBC and IBF crowns by narrow decision Saturday night over Andriy Kotelnik (pictured above, at left) before his hometown fans in St. Louis on HBO, adding that WBO counterpart, Tim Bradley, whom Shaw promotes, would whip Alexander easily.
Shaw also took shots at WBA king Amir Khan of England, whom he believes is protected by his promoters, Golden Boy Promotions. Shaw said that a proposed Jan. 29 showdown between Bradley and Alexander will come off "as long as HBO puts up the right amount of money," adding that he is looking forward to the bout more than ever following Alexander's performance against Kotelnik.
"What an easy question. Devon has no defense," said Shaw. "For sure. I didn't realize Devon was so easy to hit. Even Devon's biggest fan, HBO's Max Kellerman, started to doubt him in the end."
In this Q&A, Shaw also shared his thoughts on IBF lightweight (175 pounds) champion Tavoris Cloud (21-0, 18 KOs) and a potential bout against the winner of an Aug. 14 clash between WBC king Jean Pascal and unbeaten southpaw WBC interim titlist Chad Dawson, whom Shaw promotes. Cloud decisioned Glen Johnson on Saturday night.
FanHouse: What are the most recent statements by Amir Khan that have you so riled up about him lately?
Gary Shaw: Well, on BoxingScene.com Amir Khan's trainer, Freddie Roach, said 'a lot of fighters at 140 are taking verbal shots at Khan, including Bradley.' Roach says he is not worried about any of the fighters at 140. He says Amir will beat any of them and that he's willing to accept any opponent that Golden Boy offers them for December.
Roach said that 'Bradley is talking about fighting Manny Pacquiao but he better worry about Amir first. (Amir) is way better than any of these guys out there and he has a lot more amateur experience. If these guys are so good, then why didn't they go to the Olympics and why didn't they win a medal?'
Roach also said, 'I fear nobody in that division, whoever [Golden Boy Promotions CEO] Richard Schaefer offers me, I'll take. The 140 division is tough right now, we just have to get these guys to the table to fight us.'
Well you can just tell Freddie that he knows better and that he is way too smart to be saying what he is saying. They only want two things. One: To fight smaller 135 pound guys [WBA and WBC lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez,] or inferior skilled guys. Two: They only want to fight in house, as Bob Arum is Golden Boys' mentor.
Tim Bradley stands ready, willing and able, to kick Amir Khan's a**.
Is it your contention is that some of the pre-fight statements made by Devon Alexander and his manager-trainer, Kevin Cunningham, were not manifest in the fight?
Devon and his manager are two loud mouths filled with disrespect for Tim Bradley. Devon has no skill. He is the fourth best fighter in that division, unlike Max Kellerman's opinion. Devon told a newspaper 'Kotelnik definitely has more skill and is a more solid fighter than Bradley, so this could be the two best 140-pounders fighting on Aug. 7'
Devon said, 'because Bradley, he's an OK fighter, talent-wise. He has heart, he's going to continue to come and work hard. But as far as skills-wise, Kotelnik is better. I think Bradley's No. 3.' The article went on to say, 'manager- trainer, Kevin Cunningham, will be very surprised if Kotelnik is able to last the distance. He predicts Alexander will give Kotelnik the beating of his life.'
Cunningham said, 'Devon is going to jump in Kotelnik's a** and he's going to be in it from the opening bell.' Cunningham said. 'I can't see Kotelnik standing up to this type of beating for 12 rounds. So if he does make it through 12 rounds, more power to him, but he's getting a beating that he's never gotten in his life.'
Well, I watched the Devon Alexander fight with great interest after reading the quotes from Kevin Cunningham about how Devon was going to make this a short night and jump Kotelnik's a**. Devon has no defense and didn't know what to do with Kotelnik. The only place that he could have won that fight on that night was in St. Louis on a Don King-promoted card.
Any other venue in the United States of America, and Kotelnik walks away with the title. At the end of the day, Devon Alexander got lucky and Kotelnik got screwed.
Could it be possible that Devon Alexander just had an off night?
I think that he was exposed. Look, Max Kellerman anointed Devon Alexander on HBO as the No. 1 guy, the next pound-for-pound superstar, and all of that nonsense. In his opening, he said how Devon beat Juan Urango and Junior Witter more easily than Andre Berto and Timmy Bradley (pictured at far right) did.
What he forgot to tell you was that Timmy fought Witter in Witter's on home town, when Witter was the world champion and beat him. And when Berto fought Urango, it was when Urango was Urango and not softened up for Devon. So he's not being candid with the fans. Devon Alexander wasn't fighting the same type of fighter in Urango.
I think that Devon showed that he had no defense. He looked puzzled to me. Didn't know what to do. And I think that Kotelnik put a real a**-whipping on him. Kotelnik absolutely landed the more telling blows. He was stopping him in his tracks. To me, if I was Devon Alexander, the only thing that I would be celebrating today is the victory.
But not the fight. There's a big difference.
How soon do you believe that the deal will be made with HBO for Tim Bradley-Devon Alexander on Jan. 29?
I think that the deal with get signed sometime next week. I have to go up to HBO and negotiate. Don King wants to go with me, which is fine, and to negotiate with HBO. And if it as big as HBO keeps on saying that this fight is, and I do believe that it's one of the biggest fights that HBO can put on the air, then, you know, they'll pay what the fight is worth.
Gary Shaw was not impressed after watching junior welterweight (140 pounds) Devon Alexander (pictured above, at right) defend his WBC and IBF crowns by narrow decision Saturday night over Andriy Kotelnik (pictured above, at left) before his hometown fans in St. Louis on HBO, adding that WBO counterpart, Tim Bradley, whom Shaw promotes, would whip Alexander easily.
Shaw also took shots at WBA king Amir Khan of England, whom he believes is protected by his promoters, Golden Boy Promotions. Shaw said that a proposed Jan. 29 showdown between Bradley and Alexander will come off "as long as HBO puts up the right amount of money," adding that he is looking forward to the bout more than ever following Alexander's performance against Kotelnik.
"What an easy question. Devon has no defense," said Shaw. "For sure. I didn't realize Devon was so easy to hit. Even Devon's biggest fan, HBO's Max Kellerman, started to doubt him in the end."
In this Q&A, Shaw also shared his thoughts on IBF lightweight (175 pounds) champion Tavoris Cloud (21-0, 18 KOs) and a potential bout against the winner of an Aug. 14 clash between WBC king Jean Pascal and unbeaten southpaw WBC interim titlist Chad Dawson, whom Shaw promotes. Cloud decisioned Glen Johnson on Saturday night.
FanHouse: What are the most recent statements by Amir Khan that have you so riled up about him lately?
Gary Shaw: Well, on BoxingScene.com Amir Khan's trainer, Freddie Roach, said 'a lot of fighters at 140 are taking verbal shots at Khan, including Bradley.' Roach says he is not worried about any of the fighters at 140. He says Amir will beat any of them and that he's willing to accept any opponent that Golden Boy offers them for December.
Roach said that 'Bradley is talking about fighting Manny Pacquiao but he better worry about Amir first. (Amir) is way better than any of these guys out there and he has a lot more amateur experience. If these guys are so good, then why didn't they go to the Olympics and why didn't they win a medal?'
Roach also said, 'I fear nobody in that division, whoever [Golden Boy Promotions CEO] Richard Schaefer offers me, I'll take. The 140 division is tough right now, we just have to get these guys to the table to fight us.'
Well you can just tell Freddie that he knows better and that he is way too smart to be saying what he is saying. They only want two things. One: To fight smaller 135 pound guys [WBA and WBC lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez,] or inferior skilled guys. Two: They only want to fight in house, as Bob Arum is Golden Boys' mentor.
Tim Bradley stands ready, willing and able, to kick Amir Khan's a**.
Is it your contention is that some of the pre-fight statements made by Devon Alexander and his manager-trainer, Kevin Cunningham, were not manifest in the fight?
Devon and his manager are two loud mouths filled with disrespect for Tim Bradley. Devon has no skill. He is the fourth best fighter in that division, unlike Max Kellerman's opinion. Devon told a newspaper 'Kotelnik definitely has more skill and is a more solid fighter than Bradley, so this could be the two best 140-pounders fighting on Aug. 7'
Devon said, 'because Bradley, he's an OK fighter, talent-wise. He has heart, he's going to continue to come and work hard. But as far as skills-wise, Kotelnik is better. I think Bradley's No. 3.' The article went on to say, 'manager- trainer, Kevin Cunningham, will be very surprised if Kotelnik is able to last the distance. He predicts Alexander will give Kotelnik the beating of his life.'
Cunningham said, 'Devon is going to jump in Kotelnik's a** and he's going to be in it from the opening bell.' Cunningham said. 'I can't see Kotelnik standing up to this type of beating for 12 rounds. So if he does make it through 12 rounds, more power to him, but he's getting a beating that he's never gotten in his life.'
Well, I watched the Devon Alexander fight with great interest after reading the quotes from Kevin Cunningham about how Devon was going to make this a short night and jump Kotelnik's a**. Devon has no defense and didn't know what to do with Kotelnik. The only place that he could have won that fight on that night was in St. Louis on a Don King-promoted card.
Any other venue in the United States of America, and Kotelnik walks away with the title. At the end of the day, Devon Alexander got lucky and Kotelnik got screwed.
Could it be possible that Devon Alexander just had an off night?
I think that he was exposed. Look, Max Kellerman anointed Devon Alexander on HBO as the No. 1 guy, the next pound-for-pound superstar, and all of that nonsense. In his opening, he said how Devon beat Juan Urango and Junior Witter more easily than Andre Berto and Timmy Bradley (pictured at far right) did.
What he forgot to tell you was that Timmy fought Witter in Witter's on home town, when Witter was the world champion and beat him. And when Berto fought Urango, it was when Urango was Urango and not softened up for Devon. So he's not being candid with the fans. Devon Alexander wasn't fighting the same type of fighter in Urango.
I think that Devon showed that he had no defense. He looked puzzled to me. Didn't know what to do. And I think that Kotelnik put a real a**-whipping on him. Kotelnik absolutely landed the more telling blows. He was stopping him in his tracks. To me, if I was Devon Alexander, the only thing that I would be celebrating today is the victory.
But not the fight. There's a big difference.
How soon do you believe that the deal will be made with HBO for Tim Bradley-Devon Alexander on Jan. 29?
I think that the deal with get signed sometime next week. I have to go up to HBO and negotiate. Don King wants to go with me, which is fine, and to negotiate with HBO. And if it as big as HBO keeps on saying that this fight is, and I do believe that it's one of the biggest fights that HBO can put on the air, then, you know, they'll pay what the fight is worth.
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