Devon Alexander retained his WBC and IBF junior welterweight titles with a unanimous 12-round decision over Andriy Kotelnik on Saturday night.

Alexander (21-0) won 116-112 on all three cards.

The 23-year-old St. Louis native scored enough points early to withstand a late charge from Kotelnik (31-4-1), a 31-year-old former WBA super lightweight champion from Ukraine.  Read on for more…

 

Alexander suffered a deep cut over his right eye in the 10th round but was able to keep away from Kotelnik long enough to record the decision. He hopes to face fellow titleholder Timothy Bradley (26-0) in a battle of unbeaten 140-pound fighters in January.

“I thought I did enough to win,” Alexander said. “It was an OK performance. He was tough as nails, give him credit.”

Earlier, IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud successfully defended his crown with a hard-earned unanimous decision over veteran Glen Johnson.

Alexander, a southpaw, peppered Kotelnik with combinations and short jabs during the first five rounds. Kotelnik, a silver medalist at the 2000 Olympics, got untracked in the ninth round and felt he deserved the decision.

“I want the belt. I deserve it,” he said through a translator. “If the fight were anywhere else but here, I’d be the champion.”

Alexander, slowed by cramps in the 12th round, was the more aggressive fighter and held a 1,113-763 edge in total punches thrown.

Cloud (21-0), 28, from Tallahassee, Fla., used his strength to wear down the 41-year-old Johnson (50-14-2), who was born in Jamaica. All three judges scored the fight 116-112.

In a preliminary bout, Cornelius Bundrage recorded a technical knockout of IBF junior middleweight champion Cory Spinks 1:28 into the fourth round. Bundrage (30-4), the mandatory challenger, knocked Spinks into the ropes and referee Mark Nelson stopped the fight before completing the count. Bundrage has 18 knockouts. Spinks is 37-6.

Floyd Mayweather Jr., Evander Holyfield and St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson were in attendance.
 

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