Janibek Alimkhanuly hits the road to put his titles on the line against Andrei Mikhailovich on Friday
Janibek Alimkhanuly celebrates after stopping Danny Dignum to win the WBO interim middleweight title at Resorts World Las Vegas on May 21, 2022 in Las Vegas. Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images
It wasn’t long ago that Janibek Alimkhanuly, who holds the IBF and WBO title, was considered the future of middleweight.
The 31-year-old Kazakh southpaw was widely seen as the replacement for his countryman Gennadiy Golovkin, the last major 160-pounder who retired two years ago. But the lack of top-level competition at this stage has left Alimkhanuly with no choice but to face all the other candidates as he waits for a fight that will cement his name in the minds of the people.
Next up for Alimkhanuly is Andrei Mikhailovich, a household name outside of his native New Zealand and neighboring Australia. That doesn’t mean the 26-year-old can’t fight. He clearly can. And he firmly believes that it is his time to shine.
The fight was scheduled to take place at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas on July 13 but was called off at the eleventh hour after Alimkhanuly was admitted to hospital due to dehydration following a severe cut.
To complicate matters for Alimkhanuly, the rescheduled fight is now set to take place at The Star in Sydney, Australia on October 4 after Mikhailovich’s promoter No Limit won the bid for a guaranteed $351,000 purse. Alimkhanuly’s Top Rank promoter bid $350,000.
This prompted Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs) to take to social media, writing on X: “I have no words. What is this @toprank @BobArum @CarlMoretti?”
Alimkhanuly, who is ranked No. 1 by The Ring at 160 pounds, has kept his cool since then, insisting he has no problem attending a boxing match in Sydney.
“At the Sydney Olympics, two Kazakh boxers won gold. Bekzat Sattarkhanov and Yermakhan Ibraimov inspire many Kazakhs. I grew up with the dream of promoting my country like them,” said Alimkhanuly while presenting a report to the media recently.
“I am very happy that I will be boxing in Sydney. I want to show the world my flag in Sydney again, like our Olympic champions did in 2000. The fight with Andrei is very important to me. Because you are a legitimate contender for my title.
“He is like a cloud to me now. I have to clear the cloud quickly to see the sun. Everyone knows and understands that you are an easy job for me. I will get him out quickly!”
From Mikhailovich’s point of view, everything is going well. While Aimkhanuly recovered from his illness, Mikhailovich was trained to perfection, continuing to sharpen his tools. Mikhailovich is very confident, he predicts an early victory.
“I live in the present, but I haven’t forgotten the past,” said Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 KOs), who is currently unranked by The Ring. “I respect him as a champion but I know he doesn’t respect me. That’s why I’m looking forward to taking everything from him.
“I will be writing my name in the history books alongside Joseph Parker and Maselino Masoe as a world champion. This is my destiny, it is my everything. I will stop at nothing to ensure that the world remembers the name Andrei Mikhailovich. “
Alimkhanuly will gain little from this fight. If he does beat Mikhailovich, many people will say it was expected. If he struggles, let alone loses, his stock will take a hit. In the fickle world of boxing, where perfection is expected 100% of the time, few will contribute to the fact that he has to travel halfway around the world or his obvious struggles reducing his large frame to 160 pounds, let alone his own. strong relationship with his promoter. They will miss his actions.
And there is the rub. Does Mikhailovich get Alimkhanuly at the right time, or will the duel titleholder prove once again why he is the class of the division?
Friday night, we’ll find out.
The Aimkhanuly vs Mikhailovich bout will be broadcast on ESPN+ in the USA, Sky Sports in the UK, and Kayo Sports in Australia.
