JUNIOR WITTER THE QUITTER

JUNIOR WITTER handed American Devon Alexander the vacant WBC light-welterweight title in Rancho Mirage, California, by surprisingly quitting at the end of the eighth round.

Witter, 35, had been attempting to win back the WBC title he lost to Timothy Bradley at the Nottingham Arena nearly 15 months ago.

The Sheffield fighter had appeared to be behind on the judges' scorecards at the Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa but his decision to quit came as a surprise, sending his record to 37-3 with two draws (22 KOs).

Alexander, 13 years Witter's junior, remains undefeated, his record moving to 19-0 (12 KOs).

Switch-hitting Witter had come out fighting in an orthodox but awkward style and he went down in the first round after losing his balance having missed with a wild right hook. When he got up he immediately switched to southpaw.

The second round saw Witter land a left hook to Alexander's head but the Englishman was rocked just before the bell with a short right hook.

Both men landed stiff right hands, Alexander first, at the start of the third round but with Witter's awkward style producing a clash of heads the Englishman emerged with a cut above his right eye and an Alexander right hook hurt him further inside the final minute of the round.

FEEL THE FORCE - a right from Devon Alexander lands flush on the chin of Junior Witter

Witter was rocked again in the fifth, getting caught with a straight left on the ropes but managing to hang on to Alexander and staying on his feet.

Witter had been knocked down in the sixth against Bradley on the way to his split decision defeat but he did not come under pressure from Alexander until right before the bell when the American countered a strong right hook from the Briton with a big left as the bell sounded.

Witter started the seventh round well, working the right jab consistently with Alexander offering little in return and finishing with a big left from a southpaw stance.

Retired

A tetchy eighth round passed with no major incident, although referee Lou Moret's patience with Witter's regular holding of Alexander started to wear thin.

Moret approached the Englishman's corner at the end of the round and Witter rose from his stool, crossed the ring to Alexander's corner and congratulated the American, stunning Alexander with the news he had quit.

Witter and trainer Dominic Ingle retired immediately to their dressing room as Alexander celebrated, where he was set to be examined by the ringside physician.

A dejected Witter said he had incurred an injury to his right elbow early in the fight.

Mutual

"My elbow went in round four and basically I couldn't keep him off with my left hand," Witter told Showtime Television. "I battled through for a few rounds but the pressure kept coming on and it was like 'I can't keep doing it'.

"I kept switching, which was working to an extent but I wasn't able to box the way I wanted to. I didn't feel good. I didn't feel good at all and we just decided it was time to let this one go.

"It was a mutual agreement (with his corner). As much as I wanted to do it, I just wasn't able to do it. It's not that I wanted to quit, I wanted to win, I knew it was a close fight, there wasn't much in it, he caught me with some good shots, I caught him with some good shots and I still had a chance to win the fight - but I just wasn't here on the night."

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