The World Boxing Organization has ordered Janibek Alimkhanuly to defend his WBO and IBF middleweight titles against Hamzah Sheeraz mandatory next. They have 15 days to agree before a scholarship offer.
U Order of WBO comes after undefeated Janibek defeated Andrei Mikhailovich in the ninth round on October 4 in Sydney, Australia. Janibek (16-0, 11 KOs) seemed to take it easy on the overmatched Mikhailovich, letting him survive until the ninth round before finishing with a series of powerful shots.
It is not known if the promoters of the unbeaten Sheeraz (21-0, 17 KOs) will give him the green light to challenge Janibek because this is a much more advanced fighter than the guys he has partied with during his seven-year professional career years .
Is the 6’3″ Sheeraz ready to fight a powerhouse like Janibek, or will he continue to be fed guppies in the small pond in the UK? I don’t see Sheeraz’s management agreeing to let him fight Janibek anytime now or ever. It’s all wrong for Sheeraz, and always will be. Sheeraz is kind of a fringe contender, but he’s not a real contender from the many fights I’ve seen of him in action. The chin is too fragile.
Hamzah’s recent opposition:
– Tyler Denny: TKO 2
– Austin Williams: TKO 11
– Liam Williams: TKO 1
– Dmytro Mytrofanov: TKO 2
– River Wilson-Bent: TKO 2
Sheeraz was defeated in the beginning of Austin Williams earlier this year on June 1 in Riyadh, and many people talked about him being a hype job immediately after the fight. Although Sheeraz eventually scored an 11th-round knockout of Austin, fans saw that he had a chin problem.
In Sheeraz’s last fight, he faced the EBU Weak Punch Middleweight Champion Tyler Dennyand knocked him out in the second round on 21 September at Wembley Stadium.
The fact that Sheeraz was paired against Denny after his poor showing against Austin Williams indicates to some that there is concern among his team about his ability to handle fighters with power. As such, Sheeraz was fed a weak puncher instead of a heavy puncher that could better prepare him for predatory fish in the open sea.
For the sake of appearances, Sheeraz should challenge the IBF/WBO middleweight champion Janibek for both of his titles and lose instead of fighting WBC champion Carlos Adames or WBA belt Erislandy Lara and being out of the water.
Being beaten by Janibek gives Sheeraz a better excuse than if Adames or Lara, 41, beat him. There will be less negative reaction because Janinek is considered the best fighter in the 160 lb division.
