In a duel of all-time great fighters turned trainers, Alexander emulated future Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. to start the fight, who served as Alexander’s head coach for the first time. In the opposite corner, “Sugar” Shane Mosley guided Redkach to the knockout victory, reminding him the importance of the knockout and encouraging him to use his power.

“This feels unbelievable,” said Redkach. “I was a little bit nervous to move up to 147, but my team told me I was ready. I am more fresh and I am stronger at this weight. I was ready to fight and now I am ready to face anyone in this division.

“I practiced that punch every day,” continued Redkach. “Every single day we worked on that left hand and it did what I needed it to do. I want anyone at 147. Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter. Anyone.”

“We felt that going the distance with the champion doesn’t go in your favor,” said Mosley. “I told him, ‘You need to go out there need to go out there and knock him out.’ That is what we practiced and that is what he did.”

St. Louis’ Alexander, had thrown more punches than Redkach leading into the sixth, as he came out swinging, controlling through the third round, but by the fourth, Ukraine’s Redkach started to turn up the heat throwing punches in bunches, which led to three devastating knock downs in the sixth round, one of which sent Alexander through the ropes.

“I threw a lazy uppercut and he caught me,” said Alexander. “I thought I could have kept going. That was my first time in my career hitting the canvas like that in my career. Of course, I am a warrior I had to get up. I am okay now. I know what happened. I know what I got hit with. It is just a shock. I am devastated.”