Via Brian Webber: Newly crowned WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, manager of Top Rank, contacted the promoter of undefeated candidate Hamzah Sheeraz during a match in November.
If the bout happens, it will be the first defense for 29-year-old Janibek (12-0.8 KOs) after he was lifted from the interim 160 lb WBO champion by the World Boxing Organization. to the full champion after last time belt holder Demetrius Andrade chose to vacate and move up to 168.
23-year-old Sheeraz (16-0, 12 KOs) is ranked #11 by the WBO, but he’s been battling unknown opposition for nearly his entire career.
The only recognizable opponent Sheerez faced was the weight class Bradley Skeetewho put on weight last year to challenge him for the WBO Europe lightweight belt.
Although Skeete was superior and superior in hand strength and speed, he lasted until the ninth inning before Sheerez activated him.
“It has been reported that Janibek Alimkhanuly’s team wants Kazakhstan’s first defense at the WBO World Championship to be against England’s Hamzah Sheeraz,” said JuliusJulianis.
US boxing fans may not be familiar with Sheerez, so they won’t be thrilled with the prospect of Janibek fighting him.
As for Top Ranked doing this match, it suggests they will try to make Janibek a big name first in the UK before doing the work of trying to do so in the US.
Olympian Janibek 2016 has played well in his last three games, stopping Danny Dignuum, Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam and Rob Brant.
Despite having the same fighting prowess as Gennadiy Golovkin and an entertaining fighting style, it will be difficult for Janibek to become a worldwide star because he will have to avoid the same plague as GGG did. early in his career.
What Top Rank should do is have Janibek fight five to six times per year if they can date him so the American boxing public can see him.
Even if Janibek is facing the same feeble opposition as Jermall has for years, he is able to attract a large following in the United States. If he only fights twice a year, he will likely remain a little-known boxer known only to die-hard fans, which is the case now.
