Alimkhanuly-Gualtieri middleweight unification bout set for Oct. 14
Top lightweight prospect Keyshawn Davis in action in co-feature
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Janibek Alimkhanuly and Vincenzo Gualtieri will fight to unify their middleweight world titles, Top Rank announced on Friday, confirming a previous Fight Freaks Unite report.
Alimkhanuly will make his third defense of the WBO title and Gualtieri will make his first of the IBF belt on Oct. 14 in the main event of a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card (ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, 10:30 p.m. ET) at the new Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg, Texas, which is about 45 minutes from Houston.
Usually, it’s complicated and difficult to make world title unification fights but in a middleweight division that lacks major names and activity this one was made quickly and with little drama between Alimkhanuly promoter Top Rank and Gualtieri promoter Agon Sports & Events with the winner emerging with two belts and probably having considerably raised his profile.
The card will be the first boxing event to take place at the Fort Bend Epicenter, which can seat up to 10,000 and opened last week.
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“There’s no doubt in my mind that Janibek is the best middleweight in the world,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. “He has a chance to prove that once again with a victory over a tough champion in Vincenzo Gualtieri.”
The southpaw Alimkhanuly (14-0, 9 KOs), 30, a 2016 Olympian from Kazakhstan, is coming off a second-round destruction of Steven Butler on May 13 in Stockton, California, and has wanted to unify titles.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to fight a fellow world champion,” Alimkhanuly said. “This fight gets me one step closer to becoming the undisputed middleweight champion, and I thank Vincenzo Gualtieri for putting his belt on the line. He is doing what the other champions have refused to do. I will, however, return home to Kazakhstan as a unified champion.”
Gualtieri (21-0-1, 7 KOs), 30, a pro since 2015, who has never fought outside of his home country of Germany, will fight for the first time since he outpointed then-unbeaten Top Rank fighter Esquiva Falcao on July 1 to win one of the two belts vacated by the seemingly retired Gennadiy Golovkin earlier this year.
“Janibek is an outstanding boxer who has done it all as an amateur and a professional, just like Esquiva Falcao,” Gualtieri said. “Janibek is a southpaw, just like Esquiva Falcao. Janibek was the favorite, just like Falcao. In the end, Janibek, like Falcao, will lose because I have the better team and the will of a champion. Only that will decide who wins and who loses, just as it did against Falcao.”
Davis-Albright co-feature
In the 10-round co-feature, lightweight Keyshawn Davis, the 2022 Fight Freaks Unite prospect of the year and a 2020 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, will face Nahir Albright.
Davis (9-0, 6 KOs), 24, of Norfolk, Virginia, is on the fast track and moved into 10-rounders this year, stopping former junior welterweight title challenger Anthony Yigit in the ninth round in April and winning a shutout decision over Francesco Patera on July 22.
“I’m coming to Texas to beat up Nahir Albright. Simple as that,” Davis said. “He’s not on my level, and after I put on a show, a message will be sent. The future of the lightweight division is here.”
Albright (16-2, 7 KOs), 27, of Philadelphia, has won his last two fights since a 10-round decision loss to Jamaine Ortiz, who has emerged as a contender, in February 2022. In his last fight in July, Albright upset 2016 U.S. Olympian and since-released Top Rank prospect Karlos Balderas via eight-round majority decision.
“This is another step in the right direction,” Albright said. “He’s another person in my way. I’m not worried about Keyshawn Davis. I just beat an Olympian in my last fight. I want to fight the best and prove I belong in the ring with the top guys.”
Preliminary bouts
In other bouts that will be part of the ESPN+ stream of preliminary bouts:
Heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr. (6-0, 6 KOs), 24, a southpaw from Tulare, California, and the 2020 U.S. Olympic super heavyweight silver medalist, will face Don Haynesworth (17-8-1, 15 KOs), 40, of New Rochelle, New York, in a six-rounder.
Junior welterweight Giovanni Marquez (6-0, 4 KOs), 22, of Houston, who is the son of Showtime broadcaster and former junior middleweight titlist Raul Marquez, will fight an opponent to be determined in a six-rounder.
Featherweight Duke Ragan (8-0, 1 KO), 25, of Cincinnati, a 2020 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, will meet Jose Perez (11-1-2, 5 KOs), 27, of Oak Hills, California, in an eight-rounder. Ragan has been idle since last October, partly due to injuries.
Heavyweight Guido Vianello (10-1-1, 9 KOs), 29, who was a 2016 Italian Olympian, will fight Curtis Harper (14-9, 9 KOs), 35, of Jacksonville, Florida, in an eight-rounder. Vianello will look to rebound from his first defeat, a cut-induced seventh-round knockout to Jonnie Rice in January in a fight Vianello was winning easily before suffering a cut over his left eye.
Junior welterweight Kelvin Davis (9-0, 6 KOs), 26, a southpaw from Norfolk, Virginia, and Keyshawn’s older brother, will face an opponent to be determined in an eight-rounder.
Lightweight Alan Garcia (9-0, 8 KOs), 20, of Ulysses, Kansas, will face an opponent to be named in a six-rounder.
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This scrap should be a good one. Nice card. My question: when is Jaime Munguia gonna mix it up with some decent middleweights? I would love to see him and Janibek Alimkhanuly
Nice to see 160 moving. Up to the PBC side now. Wish WBC would name Charlo champion in recess and elevate Adames. They could then do Adames and Lara for WBC/WBA. Not going to hold my breath though. Beyond Charlo it's been over a year since Lara fought and Adames only has 2 fights in last 2 years.