WBO Seeks Medical Certification Notice From Janibek Alimkhanuly Following Fight Withdrawal
Janibek Alimkhanuly needs to prove he’s still fit to fight.
The unified middleweight titlist must provide medical proof to the WBO after his failure to defend his belts. Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 knockouts) was hospitalized due to dehydration, one day ahead of a scheduled July 13 clash versus Andrei Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 KOs). The bout was canceled as as a result, though it was since revealed that the unbeaten Kazakh plans to remain at middleweight.
Answers are still required, however, as to what specifically led to his cancelation.
“On July 12, 2024, the official boxing news outlet, [it was] reported that [Alimkhanuly] was hospitalized for dehydration forcing the postponement of his scheduled WBO/IBF Unified Middleweight Championship title defense against Andrei Mikhailovich on Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada,” the WBO stated to Top Rank’s counsel in a letter obtained by The Ring. “Therefore, considering the foregoing, Team [Alimkhanuly] is ordered to submit within the next 10 days upon issuance of this letter a detailed medical explanation of his condition.”
Alimkhanuly’s team must provided all findings, his recovery prognosis and when he will be officially cleared to return to the ring.
The rest of the July 13 show went on as planned. Mikhailovich was the only casualty, as he was left without an opponent.
Alimkhanuly has not fought since he unified the IBF and WBO middleweight titles. The feat came in a one-sided, sixth-round stoppage of Vincenzo Gualtieri , who was 21-0-1 at the time of their Oct. 14 unification bout. Alimkhanuly won 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 either lack any real sex appeal, though perhaps an undisputed and Ring-crowned champ could reinvigorate the division. Lara and Adames are limited to one fight per year, which leaves Alimkhanuly as the last bit of hope.
For that to happen, he needs to fight as planned. He now has ten days to convince the WBO he is up to the task. Failure to do so will end the reign of the first major title he won as a pro.
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