Alimkhanuly mows down Dignum to claim interim middleweight belt

Ortiz outpoints Herring, sends him into retirement

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In a devastating performance, Janibek Alimkhanuly destroyed overmatched Danny Dignum in the second round to win the vacant WBO interim middleweight title on Saturday night.

Headlining a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card for the first time, Alimkhanuly looked sensational in an absolutely dominating victory as he scored a knockout of the year candidate that left Dignum out cold at Resorts World Las Vegas

“Janibek is the next middleweight superstar,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum proclaimed. “There is no doubt that he is the future of the division. What a sensational performance from a great young man and fighter.”

As impressive as Alimkhanuly was, he was not all that impressed with himself.

“I haven’t shown my best punches yet,” he said through interpreter Egis Klimas, his manager. “Maybe in my next fight.”

Those punches, however, were still more than enough to easily dispose of Dignum.

For my full story on Big Fight Weekend please go here: https://bigfightweekend.com/news/alimkhanuly-mows-down-dignum-for-wbo-interim-middleweight-title/

Ortiz’s wins, Herring retires

In the co-feature, lightweight Jamaine Ortiz scored his biggest win when he came on strong in the second half of the fight and outpointed former WBO junior lightweight titlist Jamel Herring.

Ortiz won 97-93, 97-93 and 96-94 to hand Herring his second loss in a row and send him into retirement.

“He was just quicker on the trigger,” Herring said. “He had a better output. I wasn’t tired or anything. He just beat me to the draw. I have to think about it, but tonight, I don’t think I am where I need to be. Jamaine was just the better man. Maybe this is it.”

Soon after former U.S. Marine Herring left the ring, he posted to social media that he was indeed calling it a career.

“I love this sport, but I owe it to my family to quit putting them through these moments,” Herring wrote. “Thank you all, whether you were with or against me, you made me who I am, but it’s time. Semper Fi, salute.”

For more on Ortiz-Herring and the rest of the undercard please read my story on Big Fight Weekend here: https://bigfightweekend.com/news/jamaine-ortiz-big-win-may-send-herring-into-retirement/

Photos: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

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