10/24/2024
The waiting game continues.
The mandatory WBO Middleweight Championship clash between reigning champion Janibek Alimkhanuly and top contender Hamzah Sheeraz has hit a significant roadblock. Both camps have failed to reach an agreement by the purse bid deadline, set by the WBO, putting the fight’s future in limbo.
Photo Credit: Top Rank Boxing
According to a source, Sheeraz’s team has requested an extension of the deadline. Any extension would first require approval from Janibek and then the WBO. As of now, Janibek’s to grant Sheeraz an extension is unknown. It is worth noting that Janibek’s promoter Bob Arum and Sheeraz’s promoter Frank Warren enjoy a very good working relationship.
The WBO officially ordered the fight on October 8, after Janibek’s successful defense of his IBF middleweight championship against New Zealand’s Andrei Mikhailovich. Despite the WBO sanctioning that fight as well, confusion arose when only the IBF title was on the line. The WBO later issued a “Show Cause” notice to Janibek’s camp, seeking clarification for not defending the WBO belt. This led to concerns that Janibek’s WBO title could be stripped.
To clear up the issue, the WBO issued a ruling, addressed to Janibek’s promoter Bob Arum and Sheeraz’s promoter Frank Warren, mandating negotiations for the bout. The ruling gave the two camps 15 days to come to terms, warning that if no agreement was reached, a purse bid would be ordered. That deadline passed on October 23 without a deal in place.
Interestingly, reports from Ring Magazine’s Jake Donovan revealed that Janibek’s team had previously been offered over $1 million earlier this year for a fight with Sheeraz—a claim Janibek’s camp strongly denies.
Photo Credit: Queensberry Promotions/Matchroom Boxing
Sheeraz has steadily risen in the middleweight ranks, most recently stopping Tyler Denny in September to capture the EBU Middleweight Championship. After that fight, Sheeraz publicly called out Janibek, stating his desire to challenge the Kazakh champion for both his WBO and IBF belts.
Janibek has also been vocal about wanting the bout, taking to social media to taunt his mandatory challenger. Despite this, Sheeraz appears non-committal about whether Janibek will be his next opponent, recently responding, “You know you’re in a good position when the champion is chasing you.” Janibek’s promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, has also called for the fight to be next.
Prior to the WBO’s mandate, Sheeraz was rumored to be on track for a fight against Denzel Bentley, possibly for an interim WBO title. However, with the WBO now ordering a bout with Janibek, Sheeraz must face the full champion to secure his shot at world championship glory.
As of now, Sheeraz has teased a big fight announcement on social media, but it remains unclear whether his next opponent will indeed be Janibek.
UPDATE: The WBO has just announced that the sides have agreed to an extension of the deadline. The new deadline is November 4.
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