Devon Alexander Outclasses Lee Purdy En-Route To TKO Victory

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In the co-main event of Showtime’s Matthysse vs. Peterson fight card, Devon Alexander (25-1, 14 knockouts) took on Lee Purdy (20-4-1, 13 knockouts) in a welterweight contest. Ever since tasting defeat at the hands of Timothy Bradley, much of the hype that once surrounded Alexander has died down. Slowly but surely though he has managed to climb back up the rankings with steadily improving performances against ever increasing competition. Although this wasn’t the Kell Brook match-up that many had anticipated, Purdy was able to garner interest in the new match-up by hyping up the bout through any possible medium. Unfortunately, the hype forced many to ignore just how one-sided a match-up this had potential to be.

In a trend that was set by the undercard, Alexander managed to dominate just about every facet of his fight against Purdy. From the onset, Purdy came forward in an effort to put the pressure on Alexander, but Alexander proved to be the much more adept, and quite frankly more talented, fighter. In every exchange, Alexander would manage to sneak in a few hard straights, follow up with some bombing hooks, and move on to some effective hooks. While Alexander ran an absolute boxing clinic, Purdy offered little in the way of offense. Aside from the ocassional hook and grin, Purdy seemed more focused on surviving rather than winning.

With each round undoubtedly his on the judge’s scorecards, Alexander’s confidence only seemed to grow throughout the fight. This led to a higher punch output that would often send Purdy reeling before he eventually found himself saved by the bell. As much as Purdy tried to mask the effect Alexander’s punches had left on him, it was obvious that he was absorbing far too much punishment in every exchange. This led Purdy’s corner to ask the ref to put a halt to the bout in between the seventh and eighth round. As painful as the loss seemed to Purdy, there’s no denying that it was in his best interest to put an end to the beating.

Even with another dominant victory under his belt, Alexander will always manage to draw his own share of criticism until he challenges and defeats another top fighter. Until that moment finally happens for Alexander, he will always be seen as a hype-job rather than a legitimate force. With this win finally over with here’s to hoping that Alexander is one step closer to facing that challenge, as well as finally having a chance to silence any current or future criticism