WBO Orders Hamzah Sheeraz To Finally Settle Up with Janibek Alimkhanuly
The World Boxing Organization has ordered reigning WBO super middleweight champion Hamzah Sheeraz to defend his title against former unified middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, setting up one of the most intriguing matchups at 168 pounds for later this year. The two sides have 20 days to reach an agreement before the bout heads to a purse bid.
The development comes as something of a surprise. Sheeraz (24-0-1, 19 KOs) was widely expected to face unbeaten Danish contender Jacob Bank next, with the two having been linked following their respective victories on July 25 in Saudi Arabia. However, the WBO rejected Bank’s request to be designated mandatory challenger and instead elevated Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs) to the No. 2 position in its super middleweight rankings, behind Canelo Alvarez and over Bank, currently ranked fourth by the WBO.
THE HISTORY BETWEEN SHEERAZ AND ALIMKHANULY
For Sheeraz and Alimkhanuly, this will be a rematch of sorts, although they never actually shared the ring. When Alimkhanuly was the unified middleweight champion, the WBO ordered him to defend his titles against Sheeraz. The fight proceeded toward a purse bid after the sides failed to reach an agreement. However, Sheeraz ultimately withdrew from the mandatory, resulting in the cancellation in November 2024.
Nearly two years later, the circumstances are dramatically different. Sheeraz is now the champion at 168 pounds, while Alimkhanuly is moving up from middleweight in search of another world title. The Kazakh southpaw brings an unbeaten 17-0 record with 12 knockouts and considerable championship experience despite not having fought since April 2025 after testing positive for banned substance Meldonium in November 2025.
ALIMKHANULY CONFIDENT HE WILL DEFEAT SHEERAZ
Adding further intrigue, Alimkhanuly is already looking beyond the challenge. Following the WBO’s decision, he confidently predicted that he would defeat Sheeraz and then pursue a unification fight.
That confidence is understandable, but this is a significant challenge for the former champion. Sheeraz is considerably bigger than the opponents he faced at 160 pounds and will be defending a world championship on his home turf of the division.
Still, the WBO has given boxing fans a fight that appeared unlikely just days ago. If the two sides can reach an agreement, they could finally settle their unfinished business, this time with a world title at 168 pounds on the line.
Be the first to comment