A Truncated Storm in the Desert

Michael Nelson gives his thoughts on last night's Showtime junior-welterweight doubleheader.

In a controversial TKO victory due to Nate Campbell's damaged left eye, Timothy Bradley kept his WBO belt and his undefeated record. Referee David Mendoza ruled that the cut above Campbell's eye resulted from a punch, but replays clearly show that Bradley's head was the culprit.

While the fight ended far too soon to definitively say that Bradley would have went on to win, for three rounds Bradley looked like the quicker, stronger, and craftier fighter. He used a persistent jab to go along with head movement on the outside, and surprisingly, more than held his own on the inside. Shooting combinations to Nate's midsection and largely keeping his elbow tucked around his own body, he landed more shots to the rib cage than the 37 year old veteran did, even though Campbell was thought to be the better body puncher.

Most tab Timothy's conditioning and determination as his best traits. But Saturday night was further proof that his more subtle versatility, preparation, and ring IQ are just as important in making him an elite talent. Those expecting the same aggressive Bradley that showed up against Kendall Holt instead saw the busy counter puncher that Edner Cherry had to deal with. Bradley is notorious for studying tapes, and the homework paid off as he whipped right hands and left hooks around Nate's elbows on the inside, counteracting Nate's shoulder roll defense.

With that said, Campbell had enough moments to make a legitimate case that he could still win a rematch. In the third round, he landed a few vicious shots to Timothy's sternum, the type that could easily change a fight if too many of them found a home. The question remains as to how fresh Bradley would be after several rounds of the punishing blows Nate was starting to slip in between Bradley's showy combinations.

Certainly, the TKO should be changed into a no decision, and I have a feeling it will be. Bradley seems more than willing to fight a rematch - saying in the postfight interview that Campbell was too slow and heavy-footed to bother him - but Lamont Peterson is his WBO mandatory and he may be forced to fight him instead. Regardless, Nate deserves an eventual return match. Unfortunately for him, he's not getting any younger.

There's a lot of buzz among fight fans about whether Campbell should have continued to fight and how significant the cut was. Campbell's a proven warrior, so the notion that he quit because he was in over his head should be put to bed until we have more information on the nature of his injury. He took a hard headbutt directly on his eye and he didn't mention anything about blood from the cut bothering him, only that he was seeing spots. As he was walking back to the corner at the end of the third, he looked into the ring lights with each eye, checking his vision before he declared that he couldn't see. I feel we should give the man the benefit of the doubt.

Hopefully we'll get a clear resolution to this saga, ideally by rematch. Until then, Bradley was impressive enough in three rounds to confirm his place as a top 10-15 pound-for-pound talent. And while it's unlikely he'll get ahold of a Manny Pacquiao or a Floyd Mayweather anytime soon, he has enough young talent around him - Lamont Peterson, Marcos Maidana, Devon Alexander, among others - to continue to build a resume that can catapult him into mainstream recognition.

On the undercard, Junior Witter called it quits after the 8th round against Devon Alexander, later claiming he had an elbow injury that he could no longer fight with. I suspect many fans were just happy to see an end to a sloppy fight with incessant clinching and only fleeting moments of clean contact.

While Witter had occasional success counter punching, Alexander, working behind a sharp jab, was in control for the majority of the rounds. Given Witter's penchant to fade in the late rounds, a comeback was unlikely.

Was Devon spectacular? Not exactly, but he was impressive in his own way. He showed he can handle a difficult, awkward style. He showed he was responsible defensively. And he showed that he had some rocks in his gloves by hurting Witter, who had never been previously stopped, on multiple occasions.

Alexander The Great clashing with the Desert Storm down the road seems inevitable.

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A Disappointing Saturday Night

By Lee Payton

Last night was a giant disappointment on every level. Junior Witter was injured in a pretty crappy fight with the solid Devon Alexander and decided to pull the plug after the 8th round of a fight he was losing. Then Nate Campbell calls it quits after Tim Bradley's skull collided with his eye. However, the lack of action was not the most frustrating part of the evening for me. It came when I logged onto some of my favourite boxing message boards and read hordes of unreasonable and disrespectful comments hurled at Campbell.

We're talking about a former World Champion and a stand-up guy in this case, but some supposed boxing fans can't give him the benefit of the doubt after watching that replay? Give me a break!

When the hardest part of the human body crashes into another person's eye socket there is going to be damage. Nate was left with a deep vertical cut, but that's not what he was complaining about. He was complaining about "spots" in his eye, which the doctor obviously thought was pretty serious because he stopped the fight. He also checked Campbell out further and ordered that he go to the hospital immediately.

The idea that a fan watching on TV can diagnose the issue is a complete joke. That was a nasty collision, which clearly had the potential to cause serious damage to a person's eye. We're not talking about blood from the cut impairing his vision, or even swelling. We're talking about actual damage done to the eye itself, which is a serious matter. If you can't admit that much, you are biased, plain and simple.

I've heard fans say the fact that Campbell motioned to the ref and fought back in the corner proves he could have gone on.

WHAT?!

He was obviously messed up from it and was hanging in LIKE A FIGHTER when Bradley pounced on him. That's a truly moronic point of view. I'm sorry.

Bradley was winning the fight, but there is no doubt that the unintentional butt caused the most damage. Did anyone honestly think Nate was going to be just as quick on the trigger as Tim? He's the heavier handed guy who sets his feet and digs on the inside. Of course a quicker guy with a good jab and active feet is going to do good work in the early going! Nate's fight was in the middle and late rounds where his body work may have shown up.

Tim Bradley is a good fighter. I think he would have won anyway, but how can anyone say for sure after just 3 rounds? They can't.

Let's pretend that Campbell goes on with one eye, and gets beat up. Does anyone care that his eye was messed up?

How many people recall the sickening thumb that Roberto Duran dug into poor Davey Moore's eye (or Duran's lacing the blind fighter repeatedly) in the first round of their fight in 1983? I've talked to many fans about that fight and they all think it was a masterpiece. I'm the only one who brings up the fact that Moore was fighting with one eye. Look what happened him after that. Was it worth it?

Fans would have moved on like they are now with "Bradley would have won anyway".

It's not right.

That referee was totally incompetent, and it showed even before he blew the call. He disgraced himself further during the post-fight interview.

Boxing needs instant replay for exactly this type of situation. Officials in this sport have not earned the benefit of the doubt.

Sadly, I guess neither have the fighters.

Let's hope that we get a rematch. At the very least Nate Campbell deserves another shot on TV.

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Live Blog: Timothy Bradley vs Nate Campbell & Junior Witter vs Devon Alexander

Welcome to The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of Showtime's junior-welterweight double-header featuring Timothy Bradley vs Nate Campbell and Junior Witter vs Devon Alexander.

Updates will start at 9 PM EST.

If you've been with us before for a live blog, welcome back. If this is your first time, thanks for checking us out. Feel free to participate by giving your scores and comments.

Coverage starts at 9 PM EST Junior Witter 139 (24-0) vs Devon Alexander 138.5 (33-5) - 12 rounds Timothy Bradley 139 (37-2-2) vs Nate Campbell 138.5 (18-0) - 12 rounds We will be providing round by round updates of both featured bouts. If you are here early, check out Michael Nelson's previews for tonight's fights: Junior Witter vs Devon Alexander Preview Timothy Bradley vs Nate Campbell Preview

Refresh this page often as updates will be frequent 7:30 PM EST... Coverage will start in 90 minutes. 8:53... Thanks for joining us. We are less than 10 minutes away from the start of the show. 9:01... The Showtime broadcast is on the air. 9:02... Tonight's fights are taking place at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, California. 9:04... Gus Johnson is hosting tonight's broadcast and is joined by Showtime boxing analyst Al Bernstein. 9:08... Showtime just aired a pictorial tribute to the late Vernon Forrest. Jimmy Lennon is asking the crowd to rise as the timekeeper tolls 10 in honor of Vernon. Tonight's fighters will be dedicating their efforts to his memory. 9:09... R.I.P Champ. If you haven't had a chance yet, please check out The Boxing Bulletin editor Lee Payton's tribute to Vernon: How I'll Remember Vernon Forrest 9:10... Junior Witter has made his way to the ring. We're awaiting Devon Alexander's ring walk. The Don King promoted fighter - Don's following behind him - is wearing a St.Louis Cardinals cap in honor of his hometown. 9:12... Alexander is in the ring. According to the tale of the tape, he has 4 inch reach advantage, 71 to 67. He's also 13 years younger. 9:14... Here's Jimmy Lennon Jr. with the formal introductions... "Ladies and Gentleman, a very good evening to you..." 9:15... The 3rd man in the ring is Dr. Lou Moret. 9:16... Fighting out of Sheffield England, Junior "The Hitter" Witter. Junior raises his glove to acknowledge his name being announced. 9:17... Devon Alexander "The Great" has his name called. Not much of a reception for either man. A bit of applause, but otherwise the crowd appears to be a quiet one... for now. 9:18... We're underway. 9:21... Witter comes out boxing in the conventional stance. Alexander is coming from the southpaw stance. Witter of course might switch it up at any time. So far, both men are keeping a distance, flicking out jabs. The occasional power shot thrown in, without too much commitment though. Witter just went to the body, and then tried to come over the top with a big right and found himself on the canvas, as he missed badly and slipped. Witter tries to jump in with a right, and is quickly smothered. Still not too much to report, as we enter the final minute of the round. Both guys tries to exchange and ended up getting tied up. Witter has now switched to southpaw. According to Al, Alexander has been preparing with the expectation Witter will stick to that. A couple of minor bursts from both men in the last 30 seconds, but nothing of note to report. There's the bell. 9:21... In Al's keys to victory, he feels that Witter should stick to righty. 9:25... Alexander is keeping his gloves the higher of the two. Witter's holding his left very low as he looks to counter. They get tied up again. The action has been quite awkward to start. Witter just took a wild swing, and they fell into a clinch. Alexander just got a jab in. Alexander's trying to get the stick working. Witter's a very awkard guy to press against though. Now they get tied up again. Witter is in the righty stance. Alexander just landed a jab, and Witter countered with a hard left hand that landed. Probably the best punch of the fight by either fighter. Another clinch. They aren't really looking to hold, but given the styles, it's happening. Another one. Lou Moret will have his work cut out tonight. With 15 seconds left, a very nice exchange - Alexander got the best of it, with a hard right hook, that seemed to momentarily stagger Witter. 9:25... We just got shot at that right hook on the replay. A nice short shot on the inside that landed flush. 9:28... Alexander just landed a nice hard right hand again. This one just 20 seconds into the round. Witter seems okay though. Alexander is sticking the jab out. Another clinch. It must be pointed out that they are looking to fight here... but the way they are jumping in, it's impossible for these tie ups not to occur. Alexander just landed a decent left to the body. 1:30 to go in round 3. Al comments that Alexander is the more consistent of the two. He's letting his hands go more. He's snapping the jab in. Witter just tried to counter it with a big right, but just missed. 45 seconds to go. Nice right hook by Alexander. Right on the button. That backed Witter off. He looks to have taken it well though. Now Witter tries to jump in with a right, and gets smothered. 10 seconds to go. More clinching and Moret yells for a break. There's the bell. 9:29... I expect we'll get some press row scores after the 4th, and I'll relay those. I think Alexander's clearly got the edge so far. 9:32... Witter is now boxing southpaw. Both are probing with the jabs. Both firing quick hard jabs, neither man pawing with it, although both at a distance where neither is really landing it frequently. Witter with a wild left that misses. Witter with a combo to the body. We're almost at the half-way mark of the round. Witter is back to righty. Now switches to southpaw. It must be tough for Alexander to get comfortable when Junior keeps flipping the switch like that. Witter just fired off a hard left that just missed. Might have glanced off Alexander's jaw. Alexander though came back with a clean right. Gus comments on Witter's wildness. Yeah, he's definitely not your conventional fighter. Switches back and forth, fires off wild counters. Now he lands a jab. There's the bell. 9:33... Jim Gray is with Cory Spinks at ringside. Cory's pleased with his friend Alexander's performance so far. "What would you like to see him do?" "Flick the jab a little bit more. A couple more feints here and there." 9:34... We're into round 5. Press row has it 39-37 twice for Alexander and 38-38 on the other card. 9:36... Al points out that a couple of these rounds have been tricky to score due to the messy action. Witter is trying to work the jab now. He's back to southpaw. Alexander with a left hand that lands. HUGE shot from Alexander. On the button. Witter almost went down. Witter's trying to hold on. He's got Alexander tied up. That was a big left hand. Alexander is moving in, but gets tied up. He's trying to capitalize, but again gets tied up. Now he lands a jab, and Witter holds again. Witter fires off a counter left, and now jumps in and ties Alexander up again. Witter seems to have his legs back. He had a few shaky moments though. We've got 20 seconds left in the round. Witter again gets a hold of Alexander. Alexander fires an uppercut and gets tied up again. Witter is backing away and circling, and then holding. There's the bell. 9:37... Let's see that shot. It was a big straight left hand, landed while Witter was throwing a wild left. Landed flush on the button and snapped Junior's head back. 9:40... Al comments that he's got a tough time saying a nice things about a guy that wears a Cardinals hat, as he's a long suffering Cubs fan, but has to give Aleander his props. Al says, "We presume Alexander is probably ahead in this fight." Witter is backing up, looking to counter. Alexander is working the jab. Neither guy landing much of note though this round. Witter has his hands hanging low. Both men throwing out the jab at the moment. Witter backing away, circling to his left. Now he jumps in with a decent right hand. But Alexander responded with a nice right hook. Alexander also had the better of the final exchange just before the bell. That's 6 rounds in the books. 9:41... Jim Gray is interviewing Nate. Nate's wearing a shirt in tribute to the late Arturo Gatti. 9:45... Witter is in the southpaw stance. Alexander trying to attack with his jab, as Witter edges backwards slowly and then tries to fire off a hard counter. Alexander always has to be careful not getting to aggressive, but he's steadily moving forward here this round. Al comments that Witter throws a better right jab - definitely true. He looks a lot more comfortable working the jab from the southpaw stance... but Al points out that Witter's power comes from when he's fighting out of the orthodox stance. Not too much of note happening so far this round. The crowd lets the fighters know with some scattered boos. Alexander edging forward. Witter flicking out the jab. Al comments that Witter has landed his share of jabs this round and can make a case for winning it based on just that. Alexander with a decent jab. Alexnder tries to attack as the round comes to a close. I think he might have got a shot in there as Witter tried to counter. 9:45... Jim Gray is now talking with Timothy Bradley. In complete contrast to Campbell, Bradley has a broad smile across his face. He said he was just kidding around with some remarks that Nate took exception too. Bradley looks very calm and relaxed. 9:49... Witter still in the southpaw stance. He just tried to land a wild counter early here in round 8, but it missed. Press row has it 68-65 twice and 67-66 all for Devon Alexander. Lou Moret warns both guys to not wrestle as they were in the clinch there mucking it up. Moret just warned Witter for holding... "No more!" He said sternly. Al likes Moret laying down the law. Always good to see holding being cracked down on. Gus comments that Witter is refusing to fight inside. That's not his strong suit, and he's looking to grab in close. Not too much other than that to report so far this round. Alexander is the one moving forward, while Witter is circling. Alexander more steady with the jab. He's definitely the one more eager to mix it up. Witter just tried to jump in with a right hand late in the round. Gus comments that this round has been more of a wrestling match than a boxing match. Unfortunately that's the case. Messy stuff. 9:49... Alexander's corner is telling their man that's he's walking towards Witter, and then posing. "You've got to perpetually moving." 9:50... Junior Witter just walked across the ring and told Devon Alexander he's had enough. That's it. No idea why, but he's called it a night. 9:51... Alexander is ecstatic. He puts on his Cardinals hat, and has the belt draped over his shoulder and has a big big smile. 9:52... According to Al, Witter's corner was responsible for stopping it. Let's have a look at what was going on. Lou Moret came to Witter's corner and said, "You can't throw one punch and grab all night." Witter's trainer then said, "He's finished." Witter then stood up and walked across the ring as Moret waved his hands. 9:53... Jimmy Lennon with the official announcement. "Dr. Lou Moret calls the contest on advisement of the corner." 9:56... Jim Gray is with the winner... Alexander is getting a little emotional as he mentions his late father. He credits those around him for never giving up on him. 9:59... Witter has gone to his dressing room and is being attended to by the doctor. Perhaps there's a hand injury or something. The official judges had it 79-73, 79-73 and 80-72. Press row had it 78-74, 77-75 and 78-74. 10:00... Coming up next will be the main-event. I'll keep you updated on when the fighters look like they'll be making their way in. 10:04... Not much to relay at the moment. Showtime is just advertising future programming, including the 168 pound tourney. 10:06... We just saw a clip of Nate in his dressing room. He's moving from side to side. Looks serious, but relaxed. 10:11... Jim Gray is with Junior Witter. "My elbow went in round 4. I couldn't keep him off with my left hand. I battled through for a few rounds, but couldn't do it anymore... I just decided it was time to let this one go. As much as I wanted to do it, I just wasn't able to... I don't think it's my last fight. I've got to decide where I'm going though. At the minute, I just want to get away for a bit, heal up, and go from there." 10:12... Gus Johnson doesn't sound convince as he refers to Witter's issues as mental. Not sure that's fair at all. Witter faced the music, gave an interview. He looked fairly subdued. If he was hurt, he was hurt. 10:14... Nate is making his way in. 10:15... Bradley's making his entrance. He's dressed in bright yellow gear, and he's bouncing around in his corner. 10:17... According to the tale of the tape, Nate has 2 1/2 inches reach advantage. 10:18... Jimmy Lennon Jr. with the official introductions. There's a buzz in the air for this one. You can tell the atmosphere is a little more intense. 10:18... After all the smiling he's been doing, Bradley now looks very intense. 10:19... David Mendoza is our 3rd man. 10:20... Nate's looking kind of mean as well. He does does the throat slash gesture as his name is announced. 10:21... The crowd is giving Bradley a nice reception. He's bouncing up and down with a scowl. 10:21... That was one of the more intense stare downs I've seen recently. 10:22... We are ready to go. 10:25... Nate comes out, edging forward. Bradley fires out the jab. Nate marching forward, and misses a hook. Now he tries to dig to the body. Bradley keeping his gloves up. He now digs to the body with a right, and the misses wildly. Nate is the one pressing a little more here. Bradley circling. But now Bradley stands his ground and flurries downstairs. Both guys shoulder to shoulder here banging on the inside. Campbell fires of a right hand that lands. Now he tries to go downstairs, but just missed and gets tied up. Bradley flicks the jab out. Bradley probing with the jab as Nate tries to press. Nate with a jab, and Bradley just misses with a counter right. Now Nate just misses over the top. Bradley looking comfy despite Nate's pressure. He's moving well. Now he digs a right to the body. Nate tries to pressure, but Tim ties him up. Bradley firing off the jab as Nate tries to press. Bradley with a combo. Nate fires off a right hand. There's the bell on a good first round. 10:26... In Al's keys to the fight, he mentions that the uppercut will be key for Nate. For Bradley... angles, keep working the body and keep working. 10:29... Nate edging forward. Bradley's countering him though when he comes inside. Bradley just fired off a right hand. Bradley with a nice combo. Nate tries to dig to the body, and their heads collided. No damage thankfully. That's going to happen though with these guys working on the inside. Bradley circling, using his jab, and then trying to counter. Nate edging forward, and trying to bang home power shots, especially the right hand. Both men now shoulder to shoulder on the inside. Bradley witha couple of hooks. Nate threw a right, and got tagged witha counter hook. Nate pressing forward, while Bradley flicking out this jab. Nate digs to the body with a heavy right hand. Al comments that Bradley is working very effectively on the inside. Now they clinch, and Nate tries to bang the body in close. Nice little exchange on the inside. Nate trying to work the uppercut in close. Bradley flurries with a multi-punch combo. Al comments that one of the stories so far is Campbell having a hard time landing the right. He does dig a right to the body though. There's the bell. It appears to me at least so far that Nate is having to work a little harder than Bradley to get similar results. Tim just looks a little more comfortable. 10:30... Just got a replay of the clash of heads. Both were throwing, while Bradley had his head down as he was digging downstairs. Thankfully no blood. 10:33... Nate pushes forward. He's suddenly in a little trouble. May have been a head clash and that's what Nate is indicating. He's not happy, but Bradley isn't showing any mercy and just goes after Nate hard. He's flurrying with both hands as he backs Nate into the corner and unloads. Nate again looks to plead that it was a butt, but Bradley keeps working and our ref isn't interested. Bradley banging away as Nate has his back against the ropes. Bradley really lettting his hands go. Nate trying to fight back though and he works his way off the ropes to center of the ring. Bradley now working the jab. Nate leaning in now and trying to work in close, but Bradley gets space with the jab. 1:00 to go in round 3. Nate digging hard with a right to the body again, but Bradley spins away and presses Nate against the ropes. Bradley flicking the jab out, and then banging his right hand home. Bradley really working his jab to set up other shots. Nate fires back though, but Bradley is just bombing away. Bradley backs Nate up against the ropes and is unloading. Heavy shots here. Lefts and right. To the body and upstairs. Nate tries to fight back, but he's getting banged around. Nate's got some blood around his left eye as he goes to the corner. 10:34... On the replay, we see that it was a clash of heads. Bradley was working away pressing Nate along the ropes, and his head caught Nate's eye. 10:34... We might have some controversy. The fight is over. Nate's not coming out for the 4th round, and he's claiming a head-butt. Mendoza isn't interested though. He said it's a punch. 10:35... Nate's corner didn't even try and work on the cut. They just stopped the fight at the end of the round, and tried to get this called a no-contest. Nate's eye was cut, but surely work on it? Did the doctor stop it, or the corner? We need some answers here. 10:36... Let's see the replay of what took place in Campbell's corner. "I can't see. I can't see." He said he couldn't see out of his left eye at all. The doctor then called a halt to it. 10:38... There was a clash of heads. Very clear on the replay. "To me that was as obvious as it gets." - Al 10:38... "This fight should be a no-contest." - Al 10:39... It's going to go down as a win for Timothy Bradley though. Nate's not happy. 10:41... David Mendoza is sticking to his story that it was a punch. He's being shown the replay though, and he's going to have a hard time defending that. He's saying that what he saw was a punch. Really you can't blame him. It's often tough to see things in real time. The only way a correct decision can be made in cases like this is with instant replay, and for some reason boxing refuses to join the 21st century and give officials that tool. 10:42... The other obvious question is what's wrong with Nate's eye. He's got a cut, but the corner never had a chance to work on it. Nate just said he couldn't see, which brings up the question of whether or not Nate suffered an internal eye injury there. The doctor wants to get him out of there and off to get some tests. Nate is saying he's seeing "spots". 10:45... Lots of controversy. Nate's mad. Don King is mad. Tim Bradley says he doesn't care. He'll fight Nate again. "His hometown, I don't care." 10:48... Gus and Al are discussing the situation. Rematch, etc. It was good while it lasted, and I certainly wouldn't mind a rematch. Given the styles of the two men, a clash of heads will always be a big danger though. 10:49... That's it for The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of tonight's event. Not very satisfactory, but I hope you still enjoyed our coverage.

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Bradley vs Campbell & Witter vs Alexander Predictions

Showtime has a good looking night of boxing in store for us on Saturday with with a couple of intriguing junior-welterweight match-ups.

Leading off is veteran southpaw Junior Witter taking on talented youngster Devon Alexander, followed by what promises to be a terrific main-event featuring up and coming star Timothy Bradley going up punishing body puncher Nate Campbell.

The Boxing Bulletin writers give their thoughts after the jump...

Make sure to check back in with us at 9PM EST Saturday for our live blog round by round coverage of this event.

Timothy Bradley vs Nate Campbell

Very tough fight, should be an inside battle. Nate is a harder puncher. While Timmy is physically strong he really doesn't have anything to hurt Campbell with. Bradley does have a very strong will, but I think Nate takes a razor close decision that could go either way. - Mark Lyons

Great fight. I think Nate has the edge on the inside, while Bradley has a more definitive edge on the outside. Nate's more likely to hurt Bradley than the other way around, but I don't think that'll be a determining factor. I don't see a knockout or either man being in serious trouble. Timothy's jab and footwork is a little bit better and I see him using both to win the close rounds. In the end, I think he'll come away with a close, but clear victory. - Michael Nelson Check out Michael's preview: Timothy Bradley vs Junior Witter

I really like this fight. I hope it's as good on canvas as it is on paper. Tim Bradley is in great condition and has tremendous will, but Nate Campbell is also determined as he advances in age. If Campbell carries most of his power to his first (official) junior welterweight bout, Bradley is going to have problems. Not only is Campbell more experienced, he's also a flat-out better boxer. Bradley might have an advantage in speed, and he was able to quickly recuperate from a first-round flash knockdown against Kendall Holt. Bradley was also wobbled in the final round and received a standing eight in that fight, though he won nearly every other round. Campbell is a different beast than Holt. He's just better than Holt, and he'll probably be too much for Bradley at this point of the younger boxer's career. Nate by late-round stoppage. Campbell TKO10. - Joseph R. Holzer Check out Joseph's blog: Pugilism 101

I'm looking forward to what could be a great fight. For me it comes down to just how much damage Campbell will do with his bruising power. I'll take Nate to do more damage, while Tim grabs more rounds. 7-5 sounds right. - Lee Payton

I've been looking forward to this fight ever since it was rumored to be in the works. With Campbell's penchant for bringing the heat on the inside matched up against Bradley's tenacity, there's really no way this won't be a very good fight. As Lee mentioned, Nate's a bruising fighter, but I think he's in with a man this time that can take everything he dishes out without wilting. Bradley's quite a bit younger, naturally bigger, and quicker as well, and I think were going to see Nate struggling to impose his will in close and that's the only area he's got an edge in. I like Bradley by 8-4 type scores. - Andrew Fruman

I think Bradley will win quite comfortably. I’ve never rated Campbell that highly and believe Bradley should be able to outbox him on the outside and match him on the inside. I like Bradley by a wide decision around the 117-111 mark. - Dave Oakes

Junior Witter vs Devon Alexander

I'd be lying if I said I've seen Witter since the Bradley fight, so I'm not extremely comfortable in saying Alexander by 8-4ish decision. If Junior has slipped a bit, it will be wider. - Mark Lyons

While Devon may very well outwork Witter, I'm not sold on his defense. Corley showed that he's not a difficult man to counter, and it's very easy to land clean, hard body shots underneath his guard. If Witter doesn't knock Alexander out early, he'll likely fade late as he does against his best opponents. But I think he'll win most of the first eight rounds, and I have a hunch he'll get a knockdown or two in the process. I like Junior by close decision. - Michael Nelson Check out Michael's preview: Junior Witter vs Devon Alexander

While he's untested at the world class level, Alexander's overall skills are impressive, and Witter's getting on in years. Generally in these type of match-ups, when I think it could go either way... I side with youth, so I'll take Alexander in a close one in what should be an interesting fight. - Andrew Fruman

It’s hard for me to gauge just how good Alexander is, he’s looked a classy operator in the few fights I’ve seen of him but I haven’t seen enough of him to form a solid opinion of him. Witter has been looking great in sparring but he’ll be up against it fighting away from home against a young, undefeated prospect. I’ll take an educated guess and say Alexander will sneak a split decision. - Dave Oakes

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Junior Witter vs Devon Alexander Preview

Michael Nelson previews this Saturday night's junior-welterweight showdown between Junior Witter and Devon Alexander.

Photo © Justin McKie

Junior Witter has been here before. The crafty southpaw from Sheffield, England took on an undefeated, young prospect by the name of Timothy Bradley last year. Bradley was the underdog, as Witter represented the type of leap in competition that an untested fighter usually falls short in.

Bradley defied the odds by going to Nottingham and snatching Witter's WBC belt. On Saturday, Witter looks to regain his belt - which Bradley vacated earlier this year - against another relatively untested, undefeated fighter. This time, Junior's the underdog; nearly 2 to 1.

Make sure to check back in with us on Saturday night for our live blog coverage of this event

The dominance his opponent, St. Louis native Devon Alexander, has flashed during his path to a title shot is one of the reasons why the former champ isn't the betting favorite. Alexander has scarcely lost a round in his career. And he delivered a more consistent and even performance against DeMarcus Corley than Witter did, though it can be argued that Witter fought a younger and hungrier version of Corley. Their fights against Demarcus highlighted the contrast in styles - Witter was playful, often looking bored as he waited for Corley to give him counter opportunities; Devon was completely professional, always working out of a tight guard behind a persistent jab.

Nevertheless, besides the shopworn Corley, Alexander's competition has been completely nondescript. His last fight was against journeyman Jesus Rodriguez, who was a mild step up from Christopher Fernandez and Sun-Haeng Lee, a fighter with a 9-3-1 record. It makes you wonder what exactly he did to deserve a title shot. That is, until you remember his promoter's Don King.

But earned or not, Alexander has been looking forward to his title opportunity since his teenage years spent admiring fellow St. Louisan Cory Spinks.

"We would bring Devon to the title fights, and when Cory became world champion, Devon would walk out with the belt," said Kevin Cunningham, longtime trainer for Spinks and Alexander, in an interview with STLtoday.com.

It helped keep Devon motivated for a day Cunningham knew was coming. His volume punching, combined with a sharp jab and a deep reservoir of energy, looks to be the ingredients that could give Witter fits. Witter faded noticeably in his bouts with Lovemore Ndou, Andriy Kotelnik, and Bradley; a dip in energy against Devon's steady stream of punches can lead to him getting outworked down the final stretch.

What Witter can hang his hat on is that a high workrate equals a high number of openings for a counter. The accomplished sharpshooter will have plenty of spots to display his advantages in speed and power, especially to the midsection, an area that Alexander often leaves exposed while keeping his high guard. The durability of the 22 year old prospect is a question mark that will undoubtedly be answered by the withering uppercuts and slashing right hooks Witter throws from unorthodox angles. If Devon's ability to take a shot is anything less than world class, he won't be seeing 12 rounds.

At 35 years old, Witter is getting up there in age. This may be his last opportunity to gain a stronghold in the division. The victor is a natural candidate for a fight against the winner of the card's main event between Timothy Bradley and Nate Campbell.

But standing in his way is a student who understands that history tends to repeat itself. If Witter wants to avoid another crushing defeat, he'll have to use his guile and power to teach the young man a lesson. Otherwise, he risks being relegated to a stepping stone for aspiring champions.

Make sure to check back in with us on Saturday night for our live blog coverage of this event

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British Scene: Pound 4 Pound Top 15

With no big fights on British television to preview this weekend, it's a good time for Matt Chudley to present The Boxing Bulletin's British Isles (we're including Irish fighters) pound for pound list.

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

The regular fight previews edition of the British Scene will be back next week with a look at the Martin Rogan vs Sam Sexton Commonwealth heavyweight title bout.

The Boxing Bulletin British Isles P4P Top 15 By Matt Chudley 1. Ricky Hatton No shame in losing to the world's best fighter, and despite the crushing nature of that defeat, the Hitman will remain no.1 on this list - at least until the 20th of June. 2. David Haye After months of speculation the Hayemaker will now get his opportunity to take on the consesus top 2 heavyweights in his next three fights. Over 30,000 tickets where sold on the first day to his June clash with Wladimir Klitschko and a win and subsequent fight with Wlad's brother Vitali would really bring the division back to life. 3. Carl Froch Big opportunities are in store for the Cobra, after his dramatic come from behind knockout win over Jermain Taylor. Joe Calzaghe is staying put in retirement, but with names like Bernard Hopkins and Mikkel Kessler being thrown around as his next opponent, Froch could have a chance to climb even higher in the near future. 4. Junior Witter While producing a solid performance in his only outing since losing his WBC light-welterweight title to Tim Bradley, Witter has remained much less active than either he or promoter Mick Hennessey would like. He will likely stay on the sidelines as Hennessey continues to push for either a vacant interim or vacant full blown WBC title fight. 5. Clinton Woods The Sheffield man may well find himself fighting Tavoris Cloud for the vacant IBF light heavyweight title should Chad Dawson not, as speculated oblige mandatory challenger Cloud. Woods had also been linked with a rematch against Roy Jones, but Jones now looks to have decided upon fellow Floridian Jeff Lacy. 6. Jamie Moore The all action Salford fighter took care of his stay busy European title defense in style, stopping Roman Dzuman in two rounds on the British based leg of Hatton-Pacquaio undercard. After a stop-start last two years, Moore is finally building mometum towards a world title shot in the next year. 7. Bernard Dunne Following his dramatic win over Ricardo Cordoba last time out the Dubliner is reportedly involved in negotiations with comebacking Mexican superstar Israel Vasquez. A potential fight would take place in either Las Vegas or 82,000 seater home of Gaelic games, Croke Park during September. 8. Rendall Munroe Munroe added the Commonwealth belt to his European title on May 2nd with a unanimous decision over tough Issaac Nettey. The Leicester bin man seems to have consolidated his dominance in the European super-bantamweight scene and appears ready for world class opposition. Promoter Frank Maloney will continue to push for a fight with Irish rival Bernard Dunne. 9. Ola Olafabi Following his upset win over Enzo Maccarinelli last month the Californian based South Londoner remains stranded in the UK due to visa problems. Next up for Olafabi is Canadian southpaw Troy Ross, the latest winner of Contender TV series. The bout is scheduled for June 20, but no location has been set as of yet. 10. Nicky Cook Having started well Cook came apart at the seams in the 4th round of his first WBO title defense last month. He will continue to recuperate before launching a new assualt on the 130lb division with domestic dust-ups involving the likes of Ricky Burns and Stephen Foster Jr on the horizon. 11. Amir Khan When questioned previously on Steve Bunce's boxing hour Amir Khan described Andreas Kotelnik as the weakest world titleholder in the sport. In a surprising turn of evens Khan will now challenge Kotelnik in a one stop fight at 140lbs on June 27th, at the O2 Arena in London. 12. Jason Booth Booth jumps into the British P4P rankings after moving up two weight divisions on 11 days notice to claim the British super-bantamweight title. Booth had previously been scheduled to fight for the British superflyweight title but following pullouts moved up to add the 122lb title to his Commonwealth bantamweight strap. 13. Ian Napa Napa's short but impressive stint as European champ at 118lbs may have to an end but he seems far from finished in the sport. On the agenda next is a move back down to his more natural weights of either flyweight or super-fly. 14. Kevin Mitchell Following nearly a year of inactivity the Dagenham man now finds himself with the opportunity to fight for a world title and avenge the defeat of stablemate Nicky Cook. Guided by Nicky's father Paul, Mitchell will take on Roman Martinez at the O2 in July should he come through a tune-up on May 22nd at the York Hall. 15. Matthew Macklin Following a destructive win over Arthur Abraham victim Wayne Elcock (Boxing Bulletin photo gallery of Macklin/Elcock), British middleweight champ Macklin now finds himself right in the mix at 160lbs. With the lack of depth in the division as a whole, the exciting Brummie may only need a couple more fights to get into contention for a world title shot. e-mail Matt Chudley

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