Witter (left) found Alexander too much to deal with

Britain's Junior Witter failed to regain the WBC light-welterweight belt after quitting at the end of the eighth round against Devon Alexander.

The 35-year-old said he had injured his elbow early on, severely hampering his chances of winning back the title he lost to Timothy Bradley 15 months ago.

Switching to southpaw several times, Witter struggled to find his range as Alexander dominated the early stages.

Witter landed a few telling shots before deciding he could not carry on.

The loss put paid to Witter's hopes of fighting fellow Briton and WBA light-welterweight champion Amir Khan.

"My elbow went in round four and basically I couldn't keep him off with my left hand," said Witter.

"I battled through for a few rounds but the pressure kept coming on.

"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 at all and we just decided it was time to let this one go."

The defeat was the third of Witter's 42-fight career, while Alexander, 13 years his opponent's junior, remains undefeated after 19 bouts.

It's not that I wanted to quit, I wanted to win Junior Witter

Witter went down in the first round after losing his balance while attempting an ill-advised right hook, but he did manage to land a big left hook in the second before being hit himself by a short right hook just before the bell.

A clash of heads in the third left Witter with a cut above his right eye and he was also caught by an Alexander right hook.

Alexander continued to stay on the front foot in the fifth, catching his opponent with a straight left on the ropes, but the sixth was a more sedate affair until the pair traded fine shots at the close.

Witter finally got things going at the start of the seventh round, working the right jab consistently before finishing with a big left from a southpaw stance.

There was little between the fighters in the eighth, but referee Lou Moret was beginning to lose patience with Witter's holding of Alexander.

Moret approached Witter's corner at the end of the round and the Bradford fighter rose from his stool, crossed the ring to Alexander's corner and congratulated the American.

"It was a mutual agreement (with Alexander's corner)," added Witter.

"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.

"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."

Timothy Bradley defended his WBO light-welterweight title by battering Nate Campbell into submission inside three rounds on the same bill.

Bradley put in a dynamic performance against his American compatriot, although television replays appeared to show an accidental head-butt opening the cut over Campbell's left eye early in the third.

The 37-year-old Campbell, who barely survived the third round on his feet, vehemently argued his cut was caused by Bradley's head, which would have made the bout a no-contest.

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