Talk about a head-scratcher! The WBO just dropped some massive news for the boxing world, ordering a couple of insane title fights, but the real story kicking things off is that 168-pound beltholder Hamzah Sheeraz straight up *ditched* his super middleweight hardware. Can you believe it? He was staring down a looming showdown with former middleweight champ Janibek Alimkhanuly, and instead of stepping up, he walked away. That move has set the stage for some serious action, with the WBO now moving forward with decrees for both the super middleweight and middleweight titles.
The Vacant Super Middleweight Belt Is Up For Grabs!
So, with Sheeraz out of the picture, we’re getting a battle of undefeated beasts for the vacant super middleweight title! The WBO has ordered Janibek Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KO), who was the guy Sheeraz was supposed to fight, to negotiate with no. 3 contender Jacob Bank (20-0, 11 KO). This is HUGE! Alimkhanuly, known as “Qazaq Style,” is a former middleweight king, and watching him go against another perfect record like Bank’s is exactly what we want to see. Meanwhile, no. 2 contender Diego Pacheco is off doing whatever “further marination” against Darius Fulghum means, leaving the door wide open for these two to clash. Honestly, Bank should have gotten a shot already. He’s been holding a WBO trinket for ages and his resume this year alone is stacked: a knockout win over William Scull, another KO of Paulinus Ndjolonimu, and a shutout unanimous decision over Pawel Augustynik. Alimkhanuly and Bank now have 15 days to hammer out a deal. Let’s hope they get it done!
Middleweight Mayhem: Bentley vs. Hernandez Heads to Purse Bid
Eight pounds south, things are also heating up big time for the middleweight title. Newly upgraded champ Denzel Bentley (22-3-1, 18 KO) and his mandatory challenger, the undefeated Yoenli Hernandez (11-0, 9 KO), are headed for a purse bid next week. This is another explosive matchup! Bentley has been on a tear since his upset loss to Nathan Heaney, going 4-0 with three finishes. His most recent win was a seventh-round stoppage of Endry Saavedra in April, which upgraded him to interim champ. Hernandez isn’t backing down either, coming off a solid win over Francisco Veron last month. That fight, though, did show some potential vulnerability that a power puncher like Bentley could absolutely exploit. Hernandez is looking to follow in the footsteps of his countryman Osleys Iglesias, and a win here would be massive for him. We’re talking about two really good fights if these bad boys go through! Fingers crossed the negotiations and bids lead to these matchups in the ring.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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