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    Dan RafaelESPN Senior Writer

St. Louis native Vaughn Alexander was a former standout amateur boxer and seemingly on his way to professional stardom.

He went 5-0 in his first seven months as a pro welterweight, was being heavily touted by promoter Don King and was fighting on major cards.

That was in 2004, before he served 12 years in prison for armed robbery and assaulting a police officer.

Now 30, Alexander, the older brother of former welterweight and junior welterweight titleholder Devon Alexander, was released from prison in March and is trying to make a comeback. He scored a second-round knockout win on Oct. 22 in St. Louis, and on Tuesday he signed with promoter Main Events.

Vaughn Alexander will have his first fight of the contract on Nov. 26 at the Mohegan Sun resort in Uncasville, Connecticut, on the first card of Main Events’ new Mohegan Sun’s Rising Stars Boxing Series. Alexander (6-0, 5 KOs), now a middleweight, will face Antonio Fernandes (7-28-3, 2 KOs), 37, of Brockton, Massachusetts, in a scheduled six-round bout.

“We are very excited about working with Vaughn. He stumbled in his past but so have many others,” Main Events CEO Kathy Duva said. “The important thing is that he is motivated and ready to move forward. We are so grateful to have this opportunity to debut him on the Mohegan Sun’s Rising Stars Boxing Series. America loves a comeback story.”

Alexander is grateful to have a second chance.

“I am ecstatic. Boxing has always been my dream,” he said. “When I was younger I was always dedicated to my career, but I was also dedicated to the street life as well. While I was in prison I gained a lot of knowledge. I kept my body in shape because I always prayed that I would get back to this position. I refused to allow my God-given talent to go to waste. When I got out of prison everyone was talking about my age and saying I was too old but my body is preserved.

“I am grateful that, without hesitation, Main Events has given me this opportunity to show that I am still the best.”

Alexander, who had been trained and managed by Kevin Cunningham (who still works with Devon Alexander), is now being trained by older brother Lamar. His adviser is George Jakovic, a former HBO Sports producer who got to know Alexander while doing a feature he worked on for the network several years ago.

“Vaughn is beyond happy to be with Main Events,” Jakovic said. “His goal is to be a champion and he knows that with Main Events behind him this is something he is going to accomplish. He can’t wait to get started on Nov. 26. The boxing world is in for a treat because his style is fan-friendly. I’m looking forward to big things to come with the union of Vaughn and Main Events.

“Vaughn grew up in a place where many of his friends were killed and incarcerated, became a rising young fighter, only to throw it all away with one bad mistake. Yet while he was incarcerated he never thought of himself as a prisoner. His motivation was to get out and make something of his life in the sport he loves. Now he’s back on track to be a champion, not only in the ring, but outside the ring as well.”

Dutchover, Hernandez sign

Junior lightweight prospects Michael Dutchover, of Midland, Texas, and Josh Hernandez, of Chicago, have inked promotional agreements.

The 18-year-old Dutchover (1-0, 1 KO) signed a co-promotional deal with Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing. Dutchover won various regional tournaments as an amateur and was a runner-up at this year’s national Golden Gloves in the 132-pound division. He was 130-17 as an amateur.

“I felt an overwhelming amount of joy when I was signing my contract,” said Dutchover, who is trained and managed by Danny Zamora. “I’ve been doing this since I was 8 years old. This is just the beginning. I’m going to work hard to become a world champion. That’s all I want.”

Dutchover notched a third-round knockout in his pro debut on Thompson Boxing’s Oct. 21 card.

Hernandez (4-0, 4 KOs), 20, signed with Warriors Boxing.

“I’m excited. It’s a great opportunity for me,” said Hernandez, who attends Chicago’s DePaul University while also pursuing his boxing career. “All my pro fights so far have been with Warriors, and I’m very comfortable working with their team. That’s what matters most. Other than that, they can offer me some great opportunities.”

He is trained and managed by his father, former pro middleweight Miguel Hernandez, who appeared on “The Contender” reality series.

“My father took me to the gym at 5 years old and I had my first fight when I was 7,” said Hernandez, who won a Chicago Golden Gloves title as an amateur. “We are very close. He’s my best friend. He is my manager and trainer since I started boxing. I’ve learned everything from him. When I was younger, he took me everywhere with him in his pro career.

“When he auditioned for ‘The Contender,’ I was there. At a young age, I was exposed to the business of boxing and what it takes to be a high-level fighter. I bring a lot of people out to watch me fight, but when I’m in the ring, all I hear is his voice. That’s how close we are. I can block everything out but him.”