DEVON ALEXANDER TKO8 JUAN URANGO

We all knew that Devon Alexander had the boxing skill and ring savvy to outsmart and outscore Juan Urango, but few could have expected him to stop the immensely strong Colombian in Saturday’s 140-pound championship fight on HBO.

Urango was right in the fight and making it highly competitive, although it was surprising that one judge had him in front. Then, as sometimes happens in a well-contested bout such as this, Alexander landed the perfectly timed punch that — in the blink of an eye — took Urango right out of the fight.

As Max Kellerman pointed out in the commentary, what made Alexander’s win so impressive was that he did it in the manner of a true professional. He boxed and moved, but he also stood and fought. Alexander took risks to achieve success of the spectacular variety.

At various points in this all-southpaw fight Alexander had been trying to time Urango for the right uppercut as the Colombian powerhouse leaned in to throw his hooks.

Alexander landed some beauties, barely missed with others, but then, in the eighth, caught Urango exactly right. When Urango went down on his back it was reminiscent of the way he had been dropped by Randall Bailey in his last fight, but this time there was no recovery.

Although he got up, Urango really didn’t have anything left. The second knockdown, which quickly followed, convinced referee Benjy Esteves that Urango should be rescued in one of those perfectly judged interventions.

One had to feel sympathy for Urango, who had fought so well for seven rounds. His bursts of punches to the body were impressive and he was always dangerous with the right hook. Alexander showed a good chin, though, and, for the most part, a steely concentration. He mixed up his hit-and-move boxing with some rapid-fire combinations, bloodying Urango’s nose in the third round, but Urango looked as if he was going to keep chugging forward all night until that perfectly delivered uppercut simply blew him away.