Bailey vs Alexander: Hard Rock in Vegas to Host Sept. 8 Showtime Card

The September 8 fight between IBF welterweight titlist Randall Bailey and Devon Alexander has found a home, as RingTV.com reports that the Hard Rock in Las Vegas has been booked for the Showtime-televised card.

Bailey and promoter Lou DiBella refused to take the fight in Alexander's hometown of St. Louis, where it would have drawn the most money. Bailey is not a star name anywhere, really, and Alexander does draw fairly well in his hometown, as St. Louis has proven over the years to strongly support local fighters.

But with highly questionable hometown wins over Lucas Matthysse and Andriy Kotelnik in the not-too-distant past, Team Bailey just didn't want anything to do with that. The fight was originally scheduled for Memphis, then reportedly moved to San Antonio.

When both of those options fell through, promoters had to scramble to find a venue, and a smaller-level casino seemed a likely fit. That's what we've got, as the Hard Rock is a frequent host for Friday Night Fights-type bouts, a small room that packs intimate crowds in pretty well for lesser fights than this one. Given Golden Boy's love of comps, it shouldn't be any problem filling the venue for fight night, though with less than a month to go, it's unlikely they'll actually sell all that many tickets.

Only in boxing, really, will you see what is supposedly a major card not have a base of operations until three weeks before the fight. Still, at least the fight has a home.

The aforementioned Matthysse will also be on the card, facing Ajose Olusegun in an intriguing 140-pound fight as the night's main support bout.