Erislandy Lara will defend her WBA middleweight title against alternate opponent Johan Gonzalez in a co-headlining appearance this Saturday night, December 6, at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Lara’s planned opponent, IBF and WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhnuly, tested positive for PEDs. This resulted in the need to remove it from the card.
Gonzalez comes in delayed
Boxing expert, Dan Rafael revealed this news 34-year-old Venezuelan Johan Gonzalez (36-4, 34 KO), who will be Lara’s deputy.
Johan has lost two of his last five fights since 2024, coming off knockouts against junior middleweight Yoenis Tellez and Jesus Ramos Jr. at 154. In Gonzalez’s last fight, he squealed against 35-year-old former two-time 154-pound champion Jarrett Hurd by a 10-round split decision on March 1, 2025.
This morning it was reported that Janibek had tested positive for the PED meldonium. He immediately responded to X, saying he was “surprised” by the result and that he wanted to repeat the test. However, it was still removed from the card. It is unclear whether he will be jailed, fined and suspended if his re-examination is also flagged.
This is really negatively impacting Janibek’s career as he has been chasing WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames in a unification fight for over a year.
Will Lara keep the shared slot?
As for Lara’s Erislanda successor, it’s not a great opponent for the pricey $74.99 PPV event on Amazon Prime Video. There is no word yet whether Lara’s fight will remain in the feature spot. Keeping him in this position would make no sense considering his opponent has been knocked out twice since 2024 and has lost two of his last five fights.
For Lara to stay this high on the list, he would need someone solid like Yoenli Hernandez, Jesus Ramos Jr. or Meiirim Nursultanov, who would be brought in to replace him. Fighting the adolescent gunslinger on miniature notice would be too risky for 42-year-old Lara.
Ken Woods was a senior writer in Boxing News 24 since 2013, covering sports from every angle. With years of reporting from the ring, he delivers fight news, results and analysis that cuts through the noise. Ken’s work consistently focuses on champions, challengers and prospects, giving fans a piercing and well-informed view of the global boxing scene.
Filip Hrgovic made it basic for Dave Allen and took advantage of the moments after the fight to send a chilling message to rising star Moses Itauma.
Doncaster fans were unable to lift hometown hero Allen to the level of Hrgovic, who dominated from the opening bell until coach Jamie Moore threw in the towel to spare his players another day.
Croatian Hrgovic quickly apologized to the fans in the stadium.
“I’m sorry guys. I know I’m not the favorite guy here. That’s the way it is, that’s boxing. Thank you to Dave Allen, his team, Queensberry and DAZN for this event. I’m pushing forward to become the heavyweight champion of the world.
“I started quickly because I saw all my punches connecting. He was very awkward from the beginning, so I wanted to finish him quickly to make a statement.”
“I want to fight anyone in the division. Moses, anyone. I just have to sit down with the manager and the team, see if there are any injuries or cuts. Give me a mirror, I’ll sign a contract now… I never run away from any opponent… Listen, if I’m fit, there’s no problem for me. We have to see what’s going on. I need to rest. Moses will never make it to the promised land. Do you know what I mean?”
Promoter George Warren has made it clear that Itauma-Hrgovic is the target, but he is aware that the next few days will be crucial to see if the schedule is right for the Croatian, who had a miniature cut on his skin before going to the towel.
“Yes, we can… This fight is already here. Finished. Filip, when he re-signed with Queensberry, was left on the contract on the basis that this fight was one of the options we could offer him. As he said, he has a slight scratch in his eye and he needs to go and make sure everything is OK.
“Moses is booked for August. As soon as we get back to the office next week, that’s my job. To finish and announce this fight. This guy is a world-class operator and if Moses wants to be world champion, Filip wants to be world champion; they’re going to have to deal with it at some point, so let’s deal with it now.”
Welterweight Kelvin Davis (16-1, 8 KO) escaped with a split decision victory over Peter Dobson (17-4, 10 KO) after a hard-fought 10-round fight that drew noisy boos from the crowd after the result was announced. The judges scored it 99-91 and 97-93 for Davis, while the third judge scored it 98-92 for Dobson.
Davis boxed effectively early on, using his jab, foot movement and reach to keep Dobson out and gain the advantage in the early rounds. Dobson had difficulty getting close enough to land consistently in the first half of the fight as Davis remained disciplined and chose areas with cleaner strikes.
Dobson had more success in the second half of the fight, getting inside and landing to the body. As the action became increasingly brutal and physical, Davis spent more time on the ropes and in clinches.
Dobson’s aggression and work in the middle helped put an end to the fight, and a few delayed rounds proved challenging to score. Davis continued to land enough pointed counters and straight shots to convince the two judges that he had done enough to secure the victory.
Many fans online and in the arena reacted negatively to the decision, especially due to the wide score of 99-91 in favor of Davis. Several unofficial scorecards indicated that the fight was much closer together, and some viewers felt that Dobson did enough to force a draw or provide an advantage in the decision.
The Mexican icon lost his undisputed super middleweight title that night, his first defeat in the division, but now he hopes to win one of the belts outright when he challenges fresh champion Mbilli on September 12 in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.
Confirming the news, Alvarez said:
“After so many years in this sport, my motivation is still the same: to challenge myself, represent Mexico and continue to build my legacy.
“Mbilli is undefeated and he’s a great fighter and I respect that. But my focus is always on my preparation, performance and giving the fans another great night of boxing.
“On September 12 in Riyad, we start a fresh chapter with the same discipline, ambition and vision that have accompanied me throughout my career.”
Mbilli secured the WBC interim belt by defeating Maciej Sulecki in June 2025 and regained it after an engaging draw with Lester Martinez on the Canelo vs Crawford card. When Crawford retired, the 29-0-1 Mbilli was elevated to full champion.
The fresh champion announced the “fight of the decade” in his own statement.
“My last fight was the fight of the year. In September against Canelo Alvarez, it will be the fight of the decade. And when the fight is over, the world will witness my historic victory.”
The fight will be the culmination of the gala titled “Mexico vs. the World”, and details of the card will be revealed at the press conference opening the gala, which will be held next week in Egypt.
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