Round 8
Khan blocks a left hand blow well, but can’t stop a right hook. Then Khan connects with the jab but Alexander comes back with a hook to the chin of Khan! This is a good response from Alexander after getting a beat down in the seventh - he could’ve easily shriveled up.
Unofficial Guardian scorecard
Alexander 10-10 Khan
@LengelDavid khan has this comfortably
— Aram Mushegian (@arammush) December 14, 2014
Save your money for Pacman/Mayweather...
Round 7
Here’s a flurry of combos from Khan that Alexander struggles to defend against. Boom! A punch to the head of Devon - and then a left jab pushes him back! Progress being made here by Khan - will he knock out Alexander at the MGM Grand? Now more combos - an uppercut, a right hand blow to the face! The underdog looks overwhelmed as he heads to his corner!
Unofficial Guardian scorecard
Alexander 9-10 Khan
Round 6
A left hook from Khan to the head of Alexander. Then a left-right combo - Alexander responds with a series of jabs that have little impact. An overhand right, then a left hook. This round is all Khan! He is in complete control right now.
Unofficial Guardian scorecard
Alexander 9-10 Khan
@LengelDavid First five rounds to Khan. Moving superbly.
— Steve Brenner (@SunSteveBrenner) December 14, 2014
Round 5
Alexander lands a left to the body, Khan hits with a jab to the head. Now an even exchange dots the halfway mark of the round. Alexander lunges in but Khan escapes and smiles. Khan uses his hands peed to land a series of combos in this round, but it’s even.
Unofficial Guardian scorecard
Alexander 10-10 Khan
Round 4
Alexander sneaks in a jab before missing with a big hook. Devon uses the jab well through the first half of the round. Another sneaky jab to the head of Khan, but he comes back with a body blow. Now a terrific strike to the head of Alexander inside 10 seconds! Strong finish, and the subdued TV crowd shots from Knockouts, the sports bar owned by Kevin Cunningham, tell the story.
Khan in control.
Unofficial Guardian scorecard
Alexander 9-10 Khan
Round 3
Khan lands a blow to the side of the head of Alexander but thus far nothing has seemed to bother Alexander. Actually, he’s done a good job escaping Khan at times, ducking, moving. Having said that, Khan has out-punched Alexander, thus far with few results. Still, he’s winning rounds, ending the third with a mini-flurry.
Alexander needs to throw more punches, he’s not going to win like this.
Unofficial Guardian scorecard
Alexander 9-10 Khan
@LengelDavid Positive start from Khan. And Andy Lee has just been crowned world champ down the road. Lovely stuff.
— Steve Brenner (@SunSteveBrenner) December 14, 2014
Round 2
A quiet start, not much action in the first 1:30. Khan goes mid-section and then to the head, using that speed. Here’s Khan with a right o the head. Alexander lunges, misses, and Khan comes back with a right hand, connecting, and then delivering a bit of lip service after the bell rings.
Not the most exciting round in boxing history.
Unofficial Guardian scorecard
Alexander 9-10 Khan
Round 1
Alexander, a diet of jabs to start, and then a counter from Khan. The standard feeling out process, not too much dancing. Alexander lands a blow to the head, but then a quick combo from Khan - King looked sharp there. The fighters come together, Khan, a few little blows to the stomach of Alexander. Khan, another flurry, but a solid response from Alexander, who holds and hits the Bolton man with a blow to the mid-section.
The slugger from St Louis is not intimidated.
Unofficial Guardian scorecard
Alexander 10-10 Khan
A ding, ding...
They’re off in Las Vegas!
WBC Silver welterweight title...
It’s on the line tonight and it’s showtime, or almost. Formal intros are underway, mouthpieces are inbound and we’re moments away from the orthodox King Khans’ bid to beat down the southpaw from St Louis.
Great reception for Khan here.Shorts look snazzy too. @LengelDavid
— Steve Brenner (@SunSteveBrenner) December 14, 2014
Updated
Khan is a coming
Amir is announced, Union Jacks fly and the Bolton product walks into the MGM Grand in a white robe with black and gold trim, not yet showing us those fancy shorts.
Such a tease.
Unlike Alexander, there’s not a smile in sight. All business.
Kevin Cunningham on rioters in Ferguson:
Those guys aren’t protesters, they’re crooks.
His man, Devon “Alexander the Great” makes his way to the ring wearing in red and white, a St Louis Cardinals cap, and a t-shirt that reads “R.I.P. HERB”. Alexander dances around the ring, occasionally flashing a bright smile while waiting for his opponent.
Amir Khan eating schedule. pic.twitter.com/57xA95YkSI
— David Lengel (@LengelDavid) December 14, 2014
Geez, Amir, take it easy on the sea salt.
...menu comes courtesy of a pre-match Showtime feature on Khan.
Keith Thurman v Leonard Bundu
Bundu was completely out-punched and that’s why Keith Thurman was scored 120-107 by all three judges to be the winner in a bout that went the distance.
@LengelDavid Thurman landed 189 compared to 60 odd by Bundu. Boos are loud. Unfair too.
— Steve Brenner (@SunSteveBrenner) December 14, 2014
Thurman promises the crowd more exciting fights and KOs in 2015, almost pleading his case to the booing crowd to let him off the hook after a not-so-sexy win.
@LengelDavid Thurman ahead on points as we go into the 11th. Not amazing though from a man De La Hoya called 'the future of boxing. '
— Steve Brenner (@SunSteveBrenner) December 14, 2014
And we saw heads collide in the 10th as Thurman made an initial lunge at Bundu.
Updated
The shorts
Fights shorts for @AmirKingKhan made with 24 carat gold waistband from @24KT1000 and White Nappa leather pic.twitter.com/gusjMf9Ez9
— Fight Label (@FightLabel) December 10, 2014
Khan may be going with the “when you look good, you feel good” mojo with these shorts, a pair that come in at around $50k, which is my bar tab at the club.
If the boy from Bolton sees his boxing career crash out tonight, he will indeed be going out in style....of sorts.
Air/balloon
So, how do you think the recent news that Floyd Mayweather Jr picked out a date to fight Manny Pacquiao went over in camp Khan?
Whether or not Mayweather/Pacman actually does happen, and there’s a long long way to go on that front, I would suspect that little nugget of information was a bit of a downer. That especially when you consider that Khan wants this fight to be the bridge to that highly desired dustup with Mayweather.
Gulp.
For Guardian reaction on the would-be mega-fight, have a gander at this piece from Kevin Mitchell.
Updated
Keith Thurman v Leonard Bundu update
@LengelDavid Keith 'One time ' Thurman not having it his own way against experienced Leonard Bundu. More like 'Not right now' Thurman.
— Steve Brenner (@SunSteveBrenner) December 14, 2014
We are through five rounds now, and Thurman seems to have settled down a bit over the past three minutes.
The Ferguson link
On a day where thousands have protested across various cities against police brutality, Michael Brown Sr, whose son’s death has triggered such an outpouring of grief and civil unrest, will be ringside.
Devon Alexander’s trainer, Kevin Cunningham, grew up in Ferguson, and stood down a mob that approached his sports bar during the violence which took place after the shooting of Michael Brown. Said Cunningham:
We’re going to represent St Louis the way we always represent St Louis. We are going to have Mike Brown Sr with us, so that’s pretty much what we’re doing in a nutshell in reference to that.
For more, check out this piece from Steve Brenner.
Updated
Our man in Vegas
Steve Brenner is ringside and he’ll have periodic updates for us. Here’s the first:
@LengelDavid Joe Calzaghe and dad Enzo now at ringside.Eddie Hearn also in the house. And Don King, who's wearing a delightful denim jacket.
— Steve Brenner (@SunSteveBrenner) December 14, 2014
Updated
While you wait...
Good evening, good morning, good afternoon?
We eagerly await the appearance of the bruiser from Bolton, and luckily there is action underway at the MGM Grand in Vegas to keep us occupied.
So far we’ve seen Jermall Charlo destroy Lenny Bottai in a junior middleweight bout that ended with a third round KO. So Charlo remains undefeated in 20 bouts, winning 16 by KO.
Abner Mares improved to 28-1-1 after his fight was stopped after several knockdowns of Jose Ramirez.
Next up is Keith Thurman v Leonard Bundu in a Welterweight fight.
Updated
David will be here shortly, in the meantime here’s a bit of background on the fight:
Amir Khan turned 28 on Monday yet there were no Sin City celebrations. The two-times world champion was certainly delighted by a very comfortable-looking pair of slippers his father, Shah, had given him. For the record, they looked lovely. Yet there was no cake. No party. No birthday bash with his friends.
Three years ago Khan was sucked into all that and the result was a defeat, albeit a controversial one, by Lamont Peterson which meant his WBF and IBF titles were ripped from his grasp. Now though, as the boy from Bolton sat in a plush Las Vegas hotel dissecting his preparation and mental state before a critical fight with the American Devon Alexander here on Saturday, it was clear there has been a lot of growing up since those naive, perhaps more carefree days.
With the trainer Virgil Hunter now calling the shots, a fight against Floyd Mayweather lurching into view and a young family to support, Khan says he has changed.
A career-defining, and bank balance-boosting, showdown with Mayweather is the dream. Khan makes no bones about wanting his cake. He will eat it – just not now. Alexander, who should not be underestimated, needs to be dealt with first.
