Janibek Alimkhanuly must show he’s nonetheless match to struggle.
The unified middleweight titlist should present medical proof to the WBO after his failure to defend his belts. Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 knockouts) was hospitalized on account of dehydration, in the future forward of a scheduled July 13 conflict versus Andrei Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 KOs). The bout was canceled as in consequence, although it was since revealed that the unbeaten Kazakh plans to stay at middleweight.
Solutions are nonetheless required, nonetheless, as to what particularly led to his cancelation.
“On July 12, 2024, the official boxing information outlet, [it was] reported that [Alimkhanuly] was hospitalized for dehydration forcing the postponement of his scheduled WBO/IBF Unified Middleweight Championship title protection towards Andrei Mikhailovich on Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada,” the WBO acknowledged to Prime Rank’s counsel in a letter obtained by The Ring. “Subsequently, contemplating the foregoing, Workforce [Alimkhanuly] is ordered to submit inside the subsequent 10 days upon issuance of this letter an in depth medical rationalization of his situation.”
Alimkhanuly’s crew should offered all findings, his restoration prognosis and when he will probably be formally cleared to return to the ring.
The remainder of the July 13 present went on as deliberate. Mikhailovich was the one casualty, as he was left with out an opponent.
Alimkhanuly has not fought since he unified the IBF and WBO middleweight titles. The feat got here in a one-sided, sixth-round stoppage of Vincenzo Gualtieri , who was 21-0-1 on the time of their Oct. 14 unification bout. Alimkhanuly received the IBF belt and defended his WBO title for the third time.
The 31-year-old southpaw is rated No. 1 by The Ring in a dormant middleweight division. Erislandy Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), No. 4 at 160, holds the WBA belt. Ring No. 2-rated Carlos Adames (24-1, 18 KOs) is the WBC titleholder.
Unification bouts versus both lack any actual intercourse attraction, although maybe an undisputed and Ring-crowned champ may reinvigorate the division. Lara and Adames are restricted to at least one struggle per yr, which leaves Alimkhanuly because the final little bit of hope.
For that to occur, he must struggle as deliberate. He now has ten days to persuade the WBO he’s as much as the duty. Failure to take action will finish the reign of the primary main title he received as a professional.