Boxing
Chris Algieri’s school of thought: The middleweight division needs Zhanibek Alimkhanuly to get back to his best
Published
1 month agoon
On paper, Janibek Alimkhanuly should be considered the best middleweight in the world.
I emphasize “on paper” because it’s been a while since he made a statement that would give a fighter that kind of title – which is partly because it’s been a year since his last fight, as he failed to make weight earlier in 2024.
It was in July that he was pulled from a fight scheduled against Andrei Mikhailovich for the IBF and WBO 160-pound titles in Las Vegas because, according to his manager Egis Klimas: “Although tests showed no kidney damage, he was severely dehydrated and is not in able to fight.”
Instead, Alimkhanuly-Mikhailovich will take place on Friday and in Sydney, Australia. There was a time when Alimkhanuly looked great, but the struggle to gain weight has to be a concern and makes me wonder if there’s a time coming when we’ll see him fighting at 168 pounds instead – especially since he’s from Kazakhstan and fighters from Eastern Europe are usually among the most disciplined of all.
I commented on many of his early fights on Top Rank promotion cards. He methodically dismantled opponents – even good journeymen, at such an early stage. He was selected opponents to test him, and he tactfully disarmed, dismantled and broke them. He also had a few good knockouts, but what was most impressive was the way he blasted his opponents to pieces with his high boxing IQ.
He is also a southpaw, with a long reach of 71.5 inches, and he is clumsy. He looked great.
Even today, I would make him the favorite against any other vigorous middleweight. But not the way I used to do it. And if the time comes when we see him at 168 pounds, I’m also not convinced he has the right staff to be successful there.
Where he was once on track to become the top middleweight in the world, he would be below elite at super middleweight. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez remains number one; there are also blue-collar fighters like Jaime Munguia, Christian Mbilli and Edgar Berlanga. If they didn’t want to take part in a boxing match with Alimkhanuly, they could impose their size on him and he didn’t have enough power to stop them.
The Australian market seems to me to be increasingly vital to some of the top promoters in the world given the way they appear to be trying to get a fight there or sign a top Australian fighter – which will be partly due to the existing untapped fan base there. Mikhailovich may be from nearby Novel Zealand, but Friday’s fight, announced relatively delayed in advance, doesn’t seem likely to make Alimkhanuly a crossover star, so it’s challenging to say what it will do for him from a business standpoint.
In the year 2024, the middleweight division, which has been one of the most eminent for so long, is extremely faint, which means that Alimkhanuly is still considered number one. A unification fight is complex to arrange when there is more than one superstar in a weight class; in 2024, there are none at all – Hamzah Sheeraz seems most likely to change that – which should make it easier for all interested parties to organize the most attractive fights.
Also at 160 pounds, I respect Carlos Adames and his physicality, but it was Sheeraz who caught my attention the most. Sheeraz doesn’t just have physical assets like frame, length, strength and power – as he showed by stopping Tyler Denny in two rounds on the Daniel Dubois-Anthony Joshua undercard, he continues to improve. He looked great in June when he defeated Austin “Ammo” Williams – and Williams is another fighter whose look I liked.
I’d be interested in fighting Sheeraz in a fight against any of his division rivals, and given his talent, the only reason he might lose at this stage is his lack of top-level experience – and even that might not be enough to stop him . If he proves he has the drive to complement his technique and athleticism, there will come a time when he will beat them all.
Sheeraz’s fellow Brit, Chris Eubank Jnr, is popular in the UK but has little popularity in the US. It’s also challenging to truly consider him a top middleweight because even if that’s his natural weight class, he seems most interested in fighting Conor Benn at sub-160 pounds or Canelo at 168 pounds for the biggest payday he can earn .
He sells the fight very well, and he has talent for it. On October 12, he fights Kamil Szeremeta – whom I saw live against Gennady Golovkin – and I expect him to win convincingly because he is far too animated, skilled and robust for such a one-dimensional opponent who is so uncomplicated to hit.
It worries me that Alimkhanuly is fighting in Australia because of his previous efforts to gain 160 pounds – there are many other factors involved in traveling that far. We have also seen strange things during fights in Australia before – including relatively recently, Manny Pacquiao, one of the greatest figures in the history of the sport, undeservedly losing a decision to Jeff Horn.
However, if Alimkhanuly manages to gain weight safely, he will retain the potential to remind everyone why he was so highly regarded not too long ago. If he fights to the best of his ability, he can dominate the undefeated Mikhailovich. Friday’s fight will show us which weight class he belongs in – but it’s the middleweight division he should ideally be in and that also needs him.
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Boxing
Deontay Wilder has only one option left or his career is over
Published
3 days agoon
November 1, 2024Deontay Wilder continues to deny that he has the only real chance to win another world title.
Wilder has a sedate chance of becoming a two-weight world champion after losing for the fourth time in his career.
The American was dominated by Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia before being knocked out by Zhilei Zhang.
Wilder remains adamant that he can still become a two-time ruler of the weight class, despite the obvious possibility of being relegated to the bridge division.
“I need to get my killer instinct back. I’m too composed; I’m too joyful. When I had this dog inside me, no one had a chance. I will be a two-time heavyweight champion of the world,” Wilder told 78SPORTSTV.
At just Parker’s 213 pounds, Wilder was eleven pounds under the bridge weight benchmark. He could enter the rankings right away at 224 pounds and finish high in the rankings.
Due to his standing in the World Boxing Council, which means he is ranked in the top 15 despite one victory in five years, World Boxing News understands that Wilder could even be rated number one if he ever decides to cut weight.
He had previously ruled out fighting at super cruiserweight, but that was before he lost three times in his last four fights.
The “Brown Bomber” can’t cope with bigger heavyweights who operate the right tactics. Therefore, his fixation on the world champion may finally cause Wilder to swallow his pride and go down.
If he ever did, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman would undoubtedly rate the huge boxer as capable of immediately fighting for the belt.
For now, Wilder still believes he can compete in the top flight.
“I want to give the fans what they want to see,” Wilder added, before delving into Joshua’s career. “There is a difference between being born a champion and becoming one.
“Once you become one, you are very selective about who you choose. You move carefully through the jungle.
“When you are born a King, you don’t give because you are a King. I am a born king. He is [Joshua] became king, and if not, then [the fight] would happen.”
The current bridgeweight champion is Łukasz Różański. The undefeated Pole in his current form would still be a complex proposition for Wilder.
But Wilder will never lose his punching power. This means he will always have a chance to continue his legacy as the ruler of the two-weight boxing world.
It all comes down to pride.
Boxing
Canelo vs Chris Eubank Jr fight falls apart after ‘completely false’ claims
Published
4 days agoon
October 31, 2024Canelo Alvarez fighting Chris Eubank Jr. is out of the question as coach Eddy Reynoso claims the Briton missed his chance.
Reynoso was reacting to claims by Eubank and his team that the fight could take place at Wembley Stadium in England next May. According to Reynoso, who told former World Boxing News chief writer Dan Rafael, Canelo is looking in a different direction.
Eubank said before rejecting Reynoso Heavenly sports“This fight could happen within the next year. There is no available fighter pool and no more names that fight fans want to see.
“After [David] Benavidez, there are no other boys. Maybe [Artur] Beterbieva and [Dmitry] Bivol, but they’re not in his weight class and he probably wouldn’t defend these guys.
“Me and Canelo would be a damn good combination. Two very different personalities and very different backgrounds. That would be great fun. This will be great fun.”
. @Canelo he doesn’t talk @ChrisEubankJr According to Canelo’s manager, there are no plans to meet with him @CANELOTEAMwho spoke to Fight Freaks Unite and dismissed the comments made by @boxxerBen Shalom. Read my story and sign up for mine #box bulletin: https://t.co/5pBHOLKluW pic.twitter.com/7robTlh0y1
— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) October 30, 2024
In an interview with Rafael for his daily newsletter, Reynoso firmly stated that the fight would never happen and that Eubank would no longer be considered.
“It’s completely false. Eubank had his chance to fight Canelo in September. All he did was complicate the negotiations. We will not contact him again before a future fight.”
When asked if they had a successor in line, Reynoso replied, “Anyone but Eubank,” to make sure the son of a legend knew his place in line.
Eubank may turn to Conor Benn again after his recent clash with his nemesis in Saudi Arabia. Promoter Ben Shalom also spoke to Sky Sports about Canelo before Reynoso ended the fight.
“The two fights for me are Canelo and Conor Benn. We have already started brief talks about fighting Canelo,” Shalom told Sky Sports.
“Of course [Canelo] last time it was close. I believe this is a fight that interests Canelo. You can imagine a press conference in the UK and the US. It would be absolutely huge.
“I think Canelo needs dance partners, but he also needs stars. I don’t think his last few opponents were the biggest stars. Chris Eubank Jr. he is definitely a large star.
“If he ever fights in the UK it will be a sell-out fight at Wembley Stadium. For me, that’s number one on the list.”
Judging by Reynoso’s comments, Benn is taking the reins again as Eubank’s next opponent.
Boxing
Manny Flores scores a 110-second KO at Golden Boy Fight Night
Published
1 week agoon
October 26, 2024The final installment of Golden Boy Fight Night on DAZN in 2024 ended with absolute fireworks, with Coachella Valley hometown hero Manuel “Gucci Manny” Flores (19-1, 15 KO) ending the fight at 1:50 of the first round when he faced from Sonora, Mexican Victor Olivo (21-5-1, 9 KO).
The 10-round super bantamweight fight ended with a massive punch to the body from which Olivo was unable to recover. The event took place live at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and was broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
“I feel good,” said Manuel Flores. “It was only one round, so I feel good, I can start again. Today I give myself a B. I should have stopped it sooner.
During the co-main gala organized in cooperation with Miguel Cotto Promotions, Tito Sanchez (14-0, 8 KO) from Cathedral City electrified the audience with a stunning knockout victory over the tough Edwin “Pupo” Palomares (18-5-3, 9 KO). The 10-round featherweight fight began with fierce action, with Palomares’ right eye being cut in the second round and Sanchez’s left eye being cut by an accidental headbutt in the third. It was at the end of the eighth round that Sanchez landed a series of punches with his right hand, ending the fight at 0:53, securing the victory by KO.
“I feel really great,” said Tito Sanchez. “My performance wasn’t great in the earlier rounds because I wasn’t letting go yet, but when I threw with my right hand it worked and that’s what we were waiting for, that moment. Palomares kept throwing; he wouldn’t let me put my foot down so I could catch him with my right. His condition was excellent. Today he was in the right place.”
Maintaining his undefeated record, Coachella Valley’s Grant Flores (7-0, 5 KO) defeated Karolina and Luis Ramos (7-5-1, 7 KO) in a six-round middleweight fight. The back and forth action kept fans on their feet; Flores received a warning in the third round for a low punch, and Ramos went to a knee in the fifth round. The judges scored the fight unanimously in Flores’ favor with scores of 60-53, 59-54 and 60-53. Also at the DAZN gala, in a super-lightweight fight scheduled for six rounds, Daniel “Junebug” Garcia (10-0, 8 KO) from Denver defeated Jorge Villegas from California (14-3, 13 KO) from Oxnard by knockout in the second round. Villegas succumbed twice to Garcia’s power and did not survive the 10-count.
Also representing Coachella Valley, Cayden Griffiths (2-0, 2 KO) dazzled the audience by knocking out Markus Bowes (3-7, 2 KO) of Roxboro, North Carolina, in the third round in a welterweight fight scheduled for four rounds. Opening the DAZN broadcast, Johnny “Sugarcane” Cañas (6-0, 2 KO) from Santa Ana defeated Pedro “Zurdo de Oro” Cruz (3-6, 2 KO) from San Jose. The six-round lightweight fight was controlled largely by Cañas, with Cruz suffering a cut to his right eye from an accidental headbutt and a cut to his left eye from a tough blow to the head. All three judges scored the fight 60-54 for Cañas.
In the preliminary fights, Daniel “Ikaika” Luna (5-1, 5 KO) of Victorville added another knockout to his resume, defeating Caracas, Giovanna Gonzalez (2-6, 2 KO) of Venezuela in the second round. Scheduled as a four-round lightweight match, Luna sent Gonzalez to the mat twice in the second round and the referee waved off the fight at 2:44. Kicking off the fight night with a four-round super bantamweight bout, Kevin Gudiño (1-0, 1 KO) of West Covina made a successful professional debut, defeating Bryan Cox (0-2) of Cedar Hill, Texas, by technical knockout. Cox was knocked to the mat in the first round, and his corner kick stopped the fight after the first round.
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