Former two-division world titlist Devon Alexander will return to the ring after a nine-month layoff and a new look in his corner.
Alexander will face an opponent to be determined at 150 pounds on a May 25 Premier Boxing Champions card (Fox Sports 1) at a site also to be determined, but instead of having career-long trainer Kevin Cunningham running his training camp and manning his corner it will be Roy Jones Jr., the former longtime pound-for-pound king and four-division world champion.
Alexander had been trained by Cunningham since he was an amateur, having found refuge in his gym from the streets of St. Louis as a young boy. Cunningham was instrumental in leading Alexander to world titles at junior welterweight and welterweight and several significant fights, including victories against Lucas Matthysse, Marcos Maidana and Junior Witter.
Alexander told ESPN on Monday that he believed it was time to make a change and will begin training with Jones in Jones’ hometown of Pensacola, Florida, at the beginning of April and finish his camp in Big Bear Lake, California.
“I just that I need some better conditioning,” Alexander said. “I’m losing my fights because I’m gassing out at the end of my fights. I use to not do that, but I need more conditioning and stamina now that I’m older.
“I made the change because I just felt like it was time for me to try something different, and when I talked to Roy Jones Jr., a future Hall of Famer and living legend, he said he can help with my comeback. I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to see what we could do together. After speaking to him, I really felt like it was a perfect match. He truly understands what it’s like for a fighter, like myself, who is making a comeback at this stage of his career.”
Alexander (27-5-1, 14 KOs), 32, is 0-1-1 in his last two fights, drawing with Victor Ortiz 13 months ago and losing a split decision to Andre Berto in August. However, many believed he deserved the decision in both fights, especially the one against Ortiz. The Berto fight was also quite close and Alexander knocked him down.
Alexander, who has overcome an addiction to prescription painkillers, is 2-4-1 in his past seven bouts but has never been knocked out.