It wasn’t that long ago that IBF and WBO titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly was considered the future of the middleweight division.

The 31-year-old Kazakh southerner was widely seen as the successor to his compatriot Gennady Golovkin, the last great 160-pounder who retired two years ago. However, the lack of top-class competition in the league has left Alimkhanuly with little choice but to take on all comers in anticipation of the competition that will cement his name in the public consciousness.

Next in line for Alimkhanuly is Andrei Mikhailovich, a name little known outside his native Recent Zealand and neighboring Australia. That doesn’t mean the enigmatic 26-year-old can’t fight. Clearly it can. And he firmly believes that it is his time to shine.

The fight was originally scheduled for July 13 at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, but was canceled at the eleventh hour after Alimkhanuly was hospitalized with dehydration following an acute weight cut.

To complicate matters for Alimkhanuly, the rescheduled fight will now take place at The Star in Sydney, Australia on October 4, after Mikhailovich’s promoter No Limit won the bid with a bid of $351,000. Alimkhanuly’s promoter, Top Rank, offered $350,000.

This prompted Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KO) to post on social media with an X: “I have no words. What is @toprank @BobArum @CarlMoretti?”

Alimkhanuly, rated No. 1 by The Ring and weighing 160 pounds, has since put on a calmer demeanor, insisting he has no problem traveling to Sydney to box.

“At the Sydney Olympics, two Kazakh boxers won gold. Bekzat Sattarkhanov and Yermakhan Ibraimov inspired many Kazakhs. I grew up with a dream to glorify my country like them,” Alimkhanuly said in a recent press release.

“I am very ecstatic that I will be boxing in Sydney. I want to show my flag to the world once again in Sydney, just like our Olympic champions did in 2000. The fight with Andrei is very crucial to me. Because he is the official challenger to my title.

“He’s like a cloud to me now. I have to get rid of the clouds quickly to see the sun. Everyone knows and understands that this is an straightforward job for me. I will knock him out very quickly!”

From Mikhailovich’s perspective, everything falls into place. While Alimkhanuly was recovering from his illness, Mikhailovich trained constantly, continuing to sharpen his tools. Mikhailovich is so confident that he predicts victory in the early stages of the match.

“I live in the present, but I certainly haven’t forgotten the past,” said Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 KO), who is currently not rated by The Ring. “I respect him as a champion, but I know he doesn’t respect me. That’s why I can’t wait to take absolutely everything from him.

“I will write my name in the history books with Joseph Parker and Maselino Masoe as world champions. This is my destiny, this is my everything. “I will stop at nothing to make the world remember the name of Andrei Mikhailovich.”

In this fight, Alimkhanuly has little to gain but a lot to lose. If he beats Mikhailovich, many people will say it was expected. If he fights, let alone loses, his stock will suffer. In the fickle world of boxing, where perfection is expected 100% of the time, few will consider the fact that he had to travel halfway around the globe or his apparent difficulty in getting his vast frame down to the 160-pound weight limit, let alone his strained relationship with his promoter . The only thing they will remember is his performance.

And herein lies the point. Will Mikhailovich claim Alimchanula at the right moment, or will the fight titleholder once again prove why he is the class of the division?

We’ll find out on Friday night.

Teofimo Lopez Sr. believes that Devin Haney is only suing Ryan Garcia to save his “damaged image.”

Garcia earned a decision over Haney in April in Fresh York, where he also recorded three knockdowns. His majority decision was later declared invalid after Garcia tested positive for the banned substance ostarine.

Haney filed a lawsuit against Garcia alleging fraud, battery and unjust enrichment – five months after he first filed the lawsuit fined $1.1 million and suspended for one year.

“Devin Haney is just playing chess and trying to put the right pieces in the right places to make the most of what happened to him and his image because Ryan Garcia destroyed his image” – Lopez Snr, father and trainer of the WBO junior weight champion lightweight – and therefore Haney’s rival – Teofimo Jnr, told Fight Hub TV.

The 25-year-old Haney is still scheduled to return to the ring since his fight with the 26-year-old Garcia, and there’s already some question as to whether he’ll be the same fighter when he does.

“I don’t know if it’s true, but Ryan Garcia said you can take a little bit of salt and throw it into an Olympic-size swimming pool and that’s all the stuff you have in your body,” Lopez Snr continued.

“I don’t know how true that is. But if that’s the case, man, you know what I’m saying?”

Devin Haney’s plan to sue Ryan Garcia for millions of dollars has a fatal flaw as the boxer’s reputation takes another beating on social media.

“The Dream” initiated legal action against Garcia, even though his only loss was ruled a no-contest. The WBC super lightweight champion wants monetary compensation for being beaten by the Golden Boy star.

Haney’s father, Bill, told the world that “Suits are part of business. Welcome to boxing and the Devin Haney era. Many fans responded that the action was extreme, even though Garcia failed drug tests.

Many believe that a year’s punishment and stripping of the victory is enough, but the Haneys do not. However, there is a consensus that the pursuit of extra cash is “deadly flawed.”

The main weakness of this case is the fact that Bill told Garcia that they were coming to “kill” him, which is a clear sign that “Kingry” may start his own legal process.

In response to the video reminding Bill of his words, Garcia replied, “I have no choice but to sue him.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn, who once represented Haney until the falling out, says Garcia’s actions could have huge consequences.

“This could be a really pivotal moment for boxing because in the past people have asked when a fighter fails a drug test and there’s a fight, ‘Should there be legal or police action against this fighter?’

“If Haney wins this case, I think it will really start to discourage players from using PEDs. When Ryan Garcia gets a one-year ban, it’s not a problem. A few months break and you’re back in camp. But if you lose tens of millions of dollars, it takes on a different meaning,” Hearn told Charlie Parsons.

In reference to Haney’s attempt to profit from the loss, Garcia responded to Hearn’s comments by saying, “Any expert understands that I have never knowingly taken PEDs. It seems you and the Haneys have underestimated me so much that you can’t recover from a fight, and neither can the Haneys. And now, looking at what happened, it seems like both of you can’t win [after Anthony Joshua lost].

Garcia added: “If Devin needs money that badly, I have a sponsor for him. This is a fresh type of tampon created especially for men.”

The fan also reminded the Haneys of their promise to murder in the lead-up. He asked, “Didn’t Bill Haney say they were sending Devin Haney to kill Ryan Garcia? Did he really want Ryan to die in the ring? Now Haney’s team says they could have died. Wanting to file a lawsuit is absolute bullshit.

Part of the lawsuit says Haney accuses Garcia of battery. However, the fact that Bill could stop the “battery at any time” could have backfired on him.

Garcia concluded: “I asked you, Bill, to stop the fight, but you allowed the battery to continue. You wanted this beating to match,” said the suspended super lightweight.