| PONTIAC, MICH (January 21, 2011) With fight week just a scant two days away, boss scribes, fighters and
trainers are weighing in on who they think will win The Super
Fight, pitting undefeated American champions DEVON ALEXANDER and TIMOTHY BRADLEY against each other to
determine the true 140-pound world champion. Promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, Don
King Productions and Thompson Boxing Promotions, Alexander vs. Bradley will take
place Next
Saturday! January
29, at the Silverdome in
Pontiac, Mich. and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing,
beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m.
ET. Remaining tickets, priced from $25 to $400, can
be purchased at the Silverdome box office, by calling (248) 338-2500 or online
at www.silverdome.com
Let s
see what the experts have to say.
Alexander "The Great" punches harder and has the ability to end the fight
at any time, but "Desert Storm" is the faster, better, more complete fighter.
He'll outwork Alexander, moving in and out behind the jab and throwing flashy
combinations. Alexander will have his moments, and may even drop Bradley, who
has a penchant for getting defensively sloppy. But "Desert Storm" has come back
from a big knockdown before, and he'll do it again. Go with Bradley by exciting
12-round unanimous decision.
- Matthew Aguilar, El Paso
Times
Timothy Bradley is fighting a hungry Devon Alexander. Devon will win this
fight by KO after he wears down Bradley and finishes the fight in the 9th
round.
- Bob Barton, The St. Louis American
Newspaper
Bradley by decision. I respect Alexander's speed and skill, but Bradley
is his equal in almost every area. With both guys so close, you've got to gauge
heart. Bradley is a few valuable years older, he's a bit more experienced, and I
don't know any fighter as hungry as the pride of Palm
Springs.
- Greg Beacham, Associated
Press
This is a terrific matchup. Alexander is a very good technical fighter
and has the southpaw advantage. However I believe Bradley will prevail, having
fought better opposition with wins over Witter, Holt, Peterson and
Abregu. Nothing takes the place of big fight experience and quality
competition.
- Dan Birmingham, Two-Time BWAA
Trainer of the Year
Tim Bradley by 11th round TKO. Alexander is the consummate boxer but
Bradley is the stronger puncher with the ability to land on anyone. Alexander
will give him trouble for a time with his style but at some point Bradley will
close the gap and, in the end, close the show.
- Ron Borges, Boston
Herald
This has the making of a Motor City classic. Plenty of horsepower. Style
and substance. Both are young and fit and their tanks are full. But, I'll take
Bradley to win by TKO in the 10th round, when Alexander finally runs out of
gas.
- Mike Brudenell, Detroit Free
Press
This figures to be a very close, competitive fight. Both Bradley and
Alexander have strength and style and can adjust over 12 rounds. Bradley's
experience may be the difference however and he may be better suited to make
whatever changes are necessary during the fight to win. And he will have to
adjust because Alexander is going to bring a lot of energy and speed and he's
going to have his chances to put him away. Bradley by split decision in what
should be a great way to kick off 2011.
- Steve Carp, Las Vegas
Review-Journal
A fight between undefeated fighters. I m looking for a big win, a big
knockout for Devon. Then he can call out Manny Pacquiao s name and an even
bigger fight.
-
Abac Cordero, The
Philippine Star
I like Bradley by decision in what should be a very busy
fight.
- Tim Dahlberg, Associated
Press
It s
a 50/50 contest with both fighters clearly of world class status, entering
their prime. How boxing needs more of these unification contests. There is
much at stake, and it is an intriguing fight. I make Timothy Bradley marginally
the favourite, capable of working well at 140 in spite of often giving up height
and reach advantages. Devon
Alexander can at times, rely on his power more, and although Bradley lacked
lustre in his last contest stepping up to 147lbs from 140lbs in the mind s
eye he dealt effectively with Kendall Holt, Nate Campbell, Lamont Peterson, and
indeed Junior Witter. Southpaw Alexander, however, on paper, looks the more
decisive, having stopped Witter in the eighth, and Juan Urango in the same
round. Like Amir Khan, a rival of both men, Alexander worked for a unanimous
decision over Andreas Kotelnik, without looking great, in his last outing. Hard
call, but I'll tick Bradley, who will move cleverly and sneak a points
decision. The winner leaves with great spoils and serious clout for a mega
pay-per-view showdown late in 2011.
-
Gareth Davies, The Daily Telegraph
(UK)
Even when Manny Pacquiao captured the lineal 140 lb. championship, it was
still my belief that Tim Bradley was - and still is - the best active 140 lb.
fighter on the planet today. That's no slight on Devon, whom I've long admired
and see greatness in his future. However, on January 29, Tim will provide
confirmation for long overdue recognition as the 140 lb. king in a spirited and
surprisingly dominant performance. Bradley by unanimous
decision.
- Jake Donovan, MaxBoxing.com
Tim Bradley by unanimous decision.
-
Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles
Times
This one is coin-flip close. I'll really be surprised if either fighter
dominates the other. That said, picking a draw is the coward's way out. As of
today (tomorrow, who knows?) I'm leaning to Bradley by split decision.
- Bernard Fernandez, Philadelphia Daily
News
I like Bradley by hard-fought decision. I
wouldn't be shocked if it was a very close majority or even split nod for the
Palm Springs native. It's an even matchup, but I favor Bradley because of his
experience and versatility. I think he'll mix his attack up more than Alexander
will and he'll out-maneuver the St. Louis champ when he has
to.
- Doug
Fischer, RingTV.com
It will be a technical contest with no knockdowns and no high drama. Alexander's jab will be nonstop
throughout the contest but Bradley is a superior counterpuncher and he has more
power. Bradley outboxes Alexander
to win a unanimous decision although it won't be easy or
pretty.
- Flattop, FightNews.com
Tim
Bradley, by decision. Bradley s versatility will offset the speed and dangerous
right upper-cut possessed by the left-handed Devon Alexander. It figures to be
very close. Adjustments are the key. With a quick jab, good right hand and solid
body punches in an offense complemented by agile defense, the multi-skilled
Bradley can make more of them.
- Norm Frauenheim, 15Rounds.com
Bradley by decision. He s tougher and savvier. Listening to Alexander on
the conference all, I don t think he has any idea what he s getting into.
- Leighton Ginn, The Desert
Sun
Alexander will win by decision
- Marvin Goodwin, The Oakland
Press
I
like Devon Alexander by a close but unanimous decision. Both
fighters are incredibly skilled, but in the end, Devon s ring savvy will be too
much for Bradley.
- Jim
Hayes, FOX Sports
Midwest
Timothy Bradley is more skilled, smarter and better conditioned. If I didn t KO Bradley Alexander sure
won t. Bradley by unanimous
decision or late stoppage.
- Kendall Holt, former WBO junior
welterweight champion
I like Bradley. I like the way he fights
and think he is a very good, sharp fighter too. I think it will be a competitive
fight but Bradley will win by decision.
-
Bernard Hopkins, Two-Division World
Champion
Bradley by unanimous decision. This is a pick 'em fight, but Bradley,
despite that it doesn't look pretty sometimes, always finds a way
to win. The biggest fight of his career will be no
different.
- Keith Idec, The Record/Herald
News
Bradley is a tough, hard-nosed guy who happens to have a lot of skill and
resiliency. It will be a dog-fight, but those are the kinds of fights in which
Bradley is at his best.
Bradley by decision.
- Kevin Iole, Yahoo!
Sports
I think Bradley will certainly give Alexander his toughest
test. Don't let Bradley's knockout ratio fool you. He is a very
strong fighter, which could give Devon problems, but I believe Devon has
enough mental toughness to overcome Bradley's onslaught. I like Devon to
win because of his huge heart. In addition to that heart, his ability to
adjust to situations is what gets him over the top in this one.
Alexander by unanimous decision
- Arthur Flash Johnson, KMOX-AM
Devon Alexander has shown in the past, the ability to bounce back in
dominating fashion from sub-par performances. Timothy Bradley has very
good boxing skills, but I believe we have seen him hit the peak of his ability,
whereas we've not even come close to witnessing the full potential of Devon
Alexander. Alexander's superior boxing skills, endurance, and
under-appreciated chin should be the difference in this one. Alexander
scores at least one knockdown, wins by Unanimous Decision, and shows he is the
top dog at 140 lbs.
- David Kassel, BoxingObserver.com
Alexander will eventually emerge triumphant, probably by late-round
(10th, 11th) stoppage. It could be
a fight of the year candidate.
- Michael Katz, Gaming
Today
I like Bradley by decision. I think while there are some stylistic
difficulties for him, I like his advantage in hand and
foot-speed.
- Steve Kim, MaxBoxing.com
Both fighters are going to do some damage, and a good number of rounds
are going to be very difficult to score. But in the end, Devon has a
harder head and hands that are a bit heavier and a bit quicker. That will
carry him to the win. Alexander by
unanimous decision.
- Max Leinwand, FOX Sports
Midwest
I'd go with Bradley by decision. Bradley is a good all-round fighter, but
more importantly he's a clever fighter who can adapt to an
opponent and works out how to win. Bradley has the edge in experience
and I believe, in a fight like this, that will be
vital.
- Ron Lewis, The Times
(UK)
When you have two elite fighters at the top of their games, it's hard to
pick a favorite. Still, Bradley has the most experience and if he can withstand
Alexander's power he should be able to outbox the younger champion. Take Bradley
by decision.
- Chris Mannix, Sports
Illustrated
Timothy Bradley is a tremendous talent, but a savvy gameplan and an
accumulation of power punches will elevate Devon Alexander "The Great" to
the summit of the junior welter division.
Alexander, TKO 10.
- Glenn McBrady, The St. Louis
American Newspaper
Bradley for me. Classier, tougher. Alexander didn't impress against
Kotelnik, a decent but no longer elite fighter. Bradley's got the more
impressive cv, especially against Peterson, Holt,
Witter.
- Kevin Mitchell, The Guardian
(UK)
Bradley is fast, but speed won't win this one. The best plan and the
fighter, who is willing to stick to it, will prevail. The combination of
trainer Kevin Cunningham's sage advice and Devon's execution of said advice is
what puts him over the top. Alexander by unanimous
decision.
- Dave Patek, Saturday Evening
Fisticuffs
In the days of yore, the original Alexander the Great went undefeated.
Devon Alexander "The Great" will have serious difficulty with Timothy
Bradley's straight-ahead quickness but he will out box his opponent and continue
a centuries old winning tradition: Alexander upsets Bradley and wins a split
decision on January 29, 2011.
-
Gary Andrew Poole, contributor, TIME
and
The Atlantic / author of
Pacman: Behind The Scenes
With Manny Pacquiao
Alexander by decision.
- Dan Rafael, ESPN.com
Devon Alexander has met every challenge that has come his way, and I
expect no exception in this fight with Timothy Bradley. It will go the distance
with Alexander scoring a split-decision win.
- Alvin A. Reid, 101ESPN
Radio
Bradley by unanimous points decision. He is just a little bit too slick
and tidy and his stamina is underrated.
-
Martin Rogers, Yahoo!
Sports
Devon Alexander by decision. I believe that it will come down to a battle
of the corners, with Alexander's tight punches up the middle and his southpaw
style being channeled by trainer Kevin Cunningham straight up the middle.
Bradley will start out faster, but Alexander will remain composed. Alexander's
consistency down the stretch will be the difference in a very, very, very tight
decision.
-
Lem Satterfield, AOL Fan
House
This is a tough one to call. I like Alexander's firepower and his
punching power. At the same time I like Bradley's bulldog determination and
toughness. So I'm going to take the coward's way out. A Draw. And a
rematch!
-
Tim Smith, New York Daily
News
Looking forward to a real 140-pound Super Bowl. I think Bradley can
pressure Alexander, build up points over 12 rounds, and win by decision.
- Don Steinberg, The Wall Street
Journal / The Philadelphia Inquirer
I like Alexander
by a decision. I think despite the fact that he took way too many punches
against Kotelnik, he is typically a very slick defensive fighter. Bradley will
be a huge test because, he's always in great shape and forces you to fight but,
you've got two fighters who aren't huge punchers. I give the speed and defensive
edge to Alexander who will win by decision.
- Bob Stelton, 101ESPN
Radio
Both of these fighters are at the top of their games and I'm just happy
they're fighting now rather than later. I'll have to go with Bradley by decision
or maybe even late-round stoppage. Bradley has shown that he can box, counter
punch, punch and if it comes down to a heart check he can fight. He's shown in the past that he can
overcome adversity in the ring and somehow pull victory from the jaws of defeat.
Those are the intangibles that a great champion has to have. In Alexander, even
though he's a very gifted fighter, I can't get the images of his last fight out
of my head. At times he seemed as if he had no Plan B. He got hit a lot more
than I thought he would, considering he's such a good boxer. He'll have to have
the mental strength to put that entire fight out of his mind -- as if it never
happened -- and focus on the guy in front of him. He can t get sucked into
trying to atone for his last outing by attempting to do something great against
Bradley causing him to fight outside of himself. He'll have to dictate the
action with clean combination punching and not be there for the return in order
to give himself the best chance to win. I don't believe Alexander can stop
Bradley from doing what he does best. Bradley by unanimous
decision.
- Antonio Tarver, Two-Time Light
Heavyweight Champion
The fight will go
the distance. Bradley is a smart fighter and will figure out Alexander's
aggressive style, counter at every opportunity and use his jab to keep Alexander
at bay. Alexander needs to use his jab early and often as well, and hope his
speed and southpaw style will be able to overcome Bradley's ring skills and
experience. It will be close, but Bradley will win by majority
decision.
- Bob Velin, USA
Today
I'll take Bradley to win what should be an exciting fight that will go
the 12-round distance. Both fighters are talented, but I think Bradley has
proven himself against a tougher class of
opponents.
- David Weinberg, The Press of
Atlantic City
Tony
Canzoneri by early knockout.
- Jack Welsh,
Long
Distance
Bradley by unanimous decision. His quickness will give him the points
he'll need at the end.
- Mark Whicker, Orange County
Register
Bradley by decision. His strength and will should earn him a narrow
victory.
- George Willis, New York
Post
Will styles make this fight what it is? Will Alexander be able to smack
and move, rinse and repeat, his way to a win? Or will Bradley just get in his
face, stay in his face, and windmill his way to the win? Or& will experience win
out? Bradley s been on bigger stages for longer. And I m having a hard time
getting past the fact that Alexander was life and death with Andreas Kotelnik.
He s tough, and talented& but no superstar. Was it just an off night for
Alexander perhaps? Too many questions, too little clarity. This is a 50-50
affair. I am going with the
experience edge; I m picking Bradley, because I think his pressure will be too
much, and I see his right counter bothering Alexander. Bradley, unanimous
decision, by two-point margin.
-
Michael Woods, TheSweetScience.com / ESPN
The Magazine / ESPN NY
Bradley 31 /
Alexander 15 / Draw
1
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