Unbeaten American Devon Alexander stopped Juan Urango in the eighth round to unify the WBC and IBF light welterweight titles.
American still perfect as he stops Urango for first tim
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Unbeaten American Devon Alexander stopped Juan Urango in the eighth round to unify the WBC and IBF light welterweight titles in Connecticut.
WBC champion Alexander moved his perfect record on to 20-0 with his 13th knockout victory after a right uppercut halfway through the eighth round was enough to stop the Colombian for the first time in his career.
Urango, who took Ricky Hatton 12 rounds despite losing on points in 2007, had bossed the sixth and seventh rounds and looked to be getting on top in the fight.
However, St Louis southpaw Alexander produced a right uppercut that floored Urango in the eight, although the IBF champion got back to his feet to beat the count.
He looked unsteady though, and Alexander sensed the end was in sight and moved in with another heavy right hand that wobbled Urango before another uppercut forced referee Benjy Esteves to stop the fight.
Speed
"Speed kills anything," Alexander said. "I knew he was a brawler, that he would keep coming. I knew if I didn't stand in front of him I would be the champion. He didn't hurt me at all.
"When I see blood, I want to go for it, but (I stayed) focused, stuck to the game plan and now I'm the IBF champion. I can beat anybody."
Alexander had marginally the best of the first three rounds, with just a big shot right at the end of the second the highlight for the American.
Urango caught Alexander with a booming right hand in an eventful fourth round, and the Colombian then started to take charge of affairs until Alexander pulled out the big shots that ended the contest.
It was Alexander's first fight since August when Junior Witter retired before the start of the eighth round because of an injury to his left hand.
It was just a third defeat for Urango and his first ever stoppage, with his previous defeats both coming on points to Hatton and current welterweight title holder Andre Berto.
