SCR Boxing

Say what you will about Don King, after all the man served 4 years in prison for the stomping death of an employee, was questioned by the Senate in the early 90′s allegedly keeping ties with organized crime and even Mike Tyson, a true role model in his own right, has said King “would kill his own mother for a dollar.” Still, the man has a place in boxing, as fans appreciate his willingness to put together a complete undercard, layered with top billed talent and multiple title belts on the line. In his career as a boxing promoter, King has twice put together cards featuring (an almost unheard of) 6 title bouts. August 7^th‘s Gateway to Greatness event in St. Louis showed he hasn’t lost his touch for match making, as three separate fights had championship implications.The most anticipated bout of the night took place when local St. Louis hero Devon Alexander (21-0, 13 KOs) defended his 140-pound World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation belts successfully, by means of unanimous decision, against Ukranian challenger Andreas Kotelnik (31-4-1, 13 KOs), a former World Boxing Association super lightweight champion in his own right. After originally attempting to schedule a fight with Marcos Maidana (28-1, 27 KOs), Alexander turned to Kotelnik with his second choice, suitable as Kotelnik was responsible for the only mark against Maidana’s otherwise flawless record. Read more

The city honored St. Louis‘ proud son Devon Alexander on August 1st, with celebrities such as Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee, rapper Chingy and comedian Cedric the Entertainer, in a celebration that drew over 900 attendees to City Hall. The WBC and IBF boxing champion surely realizes exactly how far he has come since his humble days growing up in the rough Hyde Park neighborhood in the north part of the city. Hyde Park is notorious for its tough streets, characterized by gang activity and heavy drug presence, but with similar focus and strength to that displayed against opponents in the ring, Alexander has been able to beat back pressure and keep his head clean of negative influence on his way to an undefeated boxing career through 21 fights.While he has managed to steer clear from trouble on his own road to success, that is not to say Alexander has been unaffected by the pressures of the streets and the hard-knock community which he calls home. Alexander was one of 30 kids to join Kevin Cunningham’s boxing program, set in the basement of an old police station. Cunningham, a former police officer himself, started the program in an effort to shield kids from the troubles of the surrounding area and provide a positive influence amidst a sea of potentially life-altering bad decisions. While the program certainly has its success stories, in Alexander along with welterweight champion (and son of former heavyweight champ Leon Spinks) Cory Spinks, 12 of the 30 have been arrested and 8 have passed away. Devon’s own brother, Vaughn, a member of the class of 30, is serving 18 years in prison stemming from a robbery conviction. Read more