Top Of The World, Or Bottom: Devon Alexander Vs. Lucas Matthysse Preview And Prediction

Remember when Devon Alexander was near the top of the world? You don't have to think back too far. It wasn't so long ago. Last year, there was a front-page New York Times story about him -- unheard of for a boxer in this day and age -- prior to his bout with Andriy Kotelnik. Things took a downward turn with that fight, when the majority of people who watched the bout believe that Alexander didn't deserve the decision win. But still, he scored a coveted big-money bout against the world's #1 junior welterweight Timothy Bradley, and both men were guaranteed return bouts on HBO, win or lose. Things hit pretty close to rock bottom with that fight. Alexander fought poorly, and reluctantly, in a bout that oddly ended up in the Pontiac Silverdome and sold very few tickets. The ugly bout came to a conclusion with Alexander appearing to beg out of fighting after a head butt, only to seemingly abandon the histrionics moments after the referee signaled that judges should hand in their scorecards.

Saturday comes that HBO return bout for Alexander, and it's no easy bounce-back fight. The original idea was to face Marcos Maidana, but in Lucas Matthysse, Alexander might be going to war with the more dangerous of the two Argentinian power punchers. Maidana struggled with crafty veteran DeMarcus Corley, and arguably didn't deserve the decision win. Matthysse demolished Corley, knocking him down eight times. Some also thought Matthysse beat Zab Judah in a close fight, and between rounds Matthysse complained to his corner about cramping up, so it's reasonable to wonder whether we have yet to see the best of Matthysse.

That Alexander and his team took this difficult opponent -- even if HBO had some role in making sure Alexander was in tough -- speaks to the likelihood that they still believe in Alexander "The Great." Devon has said this will be the first of 20 wins in a row for him. You'd like to believe him, since he could be good for the sport: He's got an interesting story of being one of the few people at his boxing gym to be alive or out of jail; he's a talented black fighter from America; he's a ticketseller in St. Louis, one of the few American ticketsellers out there. But if he doesn't get back to his former glory Saturday night, Matthysse could establish himself as the rising talent in the division.

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