Notebook: Dehydrated Janibek hospitalized, title defense canceled
Muratalla-Farmer elevated to main event; Vergil Ortiz, Golden Boy agree to new deal; Title Sports & BetUS shows; Quick hits; Show and tell
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Janibek Alimkhanuly was forced to withdraw from his WBO/IBF middleweight title defense against Andrei Mikhailovich on Friday due to dehydration that landed him in the hospital.
Alimkhanuly was due to make his fourth overall defense and first since unifying the two middleweight belts in October in the main event of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ card on Saturday at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
However, as he went through his weight cut on Thursday night a dehydrated Alimkhanuly passed out.
“Janibek was cutting the final pounds last night when he fainted,” manager Egis Klimas said in a statement on Friday. “We immediately took him to Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center, where he was put on an IV. While the scans showed no kidney damage, he was severely dehydrated and in no condition to fight.”
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A Top Rank spokesperson said Alimkhanuly was released from the hospital on Friday morning. He had gotten down to about 162 pounds before passing out, according to a source with knowledge of what happened.
Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs), 31, a 2016 Olympian from Kazakhstan, who fights out of Oxnard, California, retained the WBO title and won the IBF belt in his last fight, a one-sided sixth-round knockout of Vincenzo Gualtieri in October.
IBF mandatory challenger Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 KOs), 26, a Russia native who has lived most of his life in New Zealand and has had all of his fights there or in Australia, will not leave empty handed. Even though the fight is canceled, Top Rank said he would be paid a portion of his purse.
Muratalla-Farmer new main event
The original co-feature, a 10-round lightweight bout between up-and-comer Raymond Muratalla (20-0, 16 KOs), 27, of Fontana, California, and former junior lightweight titlist Tevin Farmer (33-5-1, 8 KOs), 33, a southpaw from Philadelphia, will move into the main event position and the rest of the card will go on as scheduled with coverage on ESPN+ beginning at 6:50 p.m. ET.
“Come Saturday night, I’ve got to make a statement so I can get these title shots that I want,” said the Robert Garcia-trained Muratalla. “I’m ready for it. I’ve been putting in the work and I can’t wait to show you all on Saturday. I’m ready for a title shot. (Farmer is) a good fighter. But I just think I’m on another level now. It’s going to show.”
After losing the IBF 130-pound belt via controversial decision to Joseph Diaz Jr. in January 2020, Farmer did not fight for 3½ years. Since returning in June 2023, Farmer has won three fights in a row at lightweight, most recently a first-round knockout of Allan Castillo on March 2.
“I’m excited. A lot of people might judge me based on my last (big) fight, when I fought Joseph Diaz Jr.,” Farmer said. “There were a lot of medical issues, but we got it straightened out. I worked my butt off from 2020 until now. I had to take a couple of fights at a lower level to get back to where I needed to be. I understand the process. It’s not always easy. So, I’m coming to dominate.
“There’s levels to this. There are steps he should have taken. For him to take such a big step is brave of him. He’s really brave. Maybe his team sees flaws in me that they think they can handle. I thank them for taking this fight, but I don’t know if I would have taken the fight if I were him.”
GB, Ortiz contract extension
Unbeaten junior middleweight knockout artist Vergil Ortiz Jr. has signed a multi-year contract extension with Golden Boy.
The agreement was announced on Thursday during at the kickoff news conference at the Golden Boy offices in Los Angeles for Ortiz’s next fight — a challenge of WBC interim junior middleweight titlist Serhii Bohachuk on Aug. 10 (DAZN) at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
“Me re-signing with Golden Boy is a show of loyalty, and it shows the mutual confidence we both have in each other that we will both bring each other success and to the top,” Ortiz said. “I want to thank Golden Boy and everyone there for believing in me, my dad for always making sure I’m at the top of my game, my manager Rick (Mirigian) for getting this deal done, and to all my supporters who enter this new chapter of my career with me.”
Golden Boy has promoted Ortiz (21-0, 21 KOs), 26, of Grand Prairie, Texas, since his pro debut in 2016. Unlike many fighters, Ortiz did not seek to test the free agent market as his contract with Golden Boy was set to expire.
Since dealing with medical and weight issues that limited him to one fight in 2022 and no fights in 2023, Ortiz will fight for the third time this year when he meets Bohachuk.
In January, Ortiz stopped Fredrick Lawson and in April he knocked out Thomas Dulorme with both wins coming in the first round.
“There is not a more dedicated fighter in the sport of boxing than Vergil Ortiz Jr., and we are incredibly proud to re-sign him at such an important time — right before his first shot at a world (interim) title,” Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya said. “With this signing, Vergil is sending a clear message about his commitment and loyalty to Golden Boy and we will reward that commitment by working shoulder-to-shoulder with him as he becomes the next superstar of boxing.”
Vergil Ortiz Sr., who trains his son along with Robert Garcia, had heavy influence over the decision to remain with Golden Boy.
“I’m very happy my son Vergil has re-signed with Golden Boy;” he said. “I feel this is the right place and the people to make all his dreams come true. I am very proud of my son. It’s been a long journey.”
Mirigian said Golden Boy made a major financial commitment to Ortiz, although terms were not announced.
“Let’s make it simple: Golden Boy showed Vergil how special he was the only way you can, by writing a big check and going all in on him with one of the biggest contracts in the sport,” Mirigian said. “He was treated like LeBron James as a free agent and the Lakers ponied up when it counted.”
Title Sports Network show
In our latest show on Title Sports Network, I joined Seb Parkinson to preview Jaron “Boots” Ennis’ first IBF welterweight title defense against David Avanesyan as well as the Janibek Alimkhanuly’s WBO/IBF title defense versus Andrei Mikhailovich (which was unfortunately canceled on Friday after we had shot the video) and the lightweight fight between up-and-comer Raymond Muratalla and former junior lightweight titlist Tevin Farmer. Please subscribe to the YouTube channel and also check out the video here:
BetUS Boxing Show
If you missed the BetUS Boxing Show live at 1 p.m. ET on Friday on YouTube, please check out the replay (and also subscribe to the YouTube channel). Just before the lievstream began we got word that Janibek Alimkhanuly was hospitalized and his WBO/IBF middleweight title defense against Andrei Mikhailovich was canceled but we still previewed and picked the Raymond Muratalla-Tevin Farmer lightweight co-feature and IBF welterweight titlist Jaron “Boots” Ennis’ defense against David Avanesyan. We also took viewer questions and comments and discussed the latest boxing news! Please check out the show here:
Quick hits
Weights from Philadelphia for the Matchroom Boxing card Saturday (DAZN, 8 p.m. ET): Jaron “Boots” Ennis 146.4 pounds, David Avanesyan 147 (for Ennis’ IBF welterweight title); Jalil “Major” Hackett 146.4, Peter Dobson 146.6; Skye Nicolson 125.6, Dyana Vargas 125.6 (for Nicolson’s WBC women’s featherweight title); Khalil Coe 174, Kwame Ritter 173; Christopher Diaz 131.4, Derlyn Hernandez 131.4; Christian Carto 124.4, Carlos Buitrago 125.8; Ismail Muhammad 144, Frank Brown 144.2; Dennis Thompson 116.6, Fernando Valdez 119.2.
Weights from Las Vegas for the Top Rank card on Saturday (ESPN+, 6:50 p.m. ET): Raymond Muratalla 134.1 pounds, Tevin Farmer 134.7; Ruben Villa 125.5, Sulaiman Segawa 122.6; Charlie Sheehy 139.9, Ricardo Quiroz 139.8; Art Barrera Jr. 145.4, Javier Mayoral 145.7; Jonathan Lopez 130.9, Leonardo Padilla 131.8; Albert Gonzalez 128.8, Conrado Martinez 128.1; Israel Mercado 140.2, Dondrell Haynes 139; Javier Zamarron 126.9, Michael Bracamontes 127.8.
Weights from Managua, Nicaragua, for the All Star Boxing card Friday (ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET): Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez 116.8 pounds, Rober Barrera 117; Eveling Ortega 108, Karol Gonzalez 107.6; Kevin Vivas 108.8, Azael Villar 107.6; Michael Carmona 104.4, Edwin Cano 104.8; Alexander Hernandez 155, Billy Aceituno 154; Jorge Silva 292, Harris Vargas 265; Jeffrey Gonzalez 212, Tony Urbina 201.6; Miguel Estrada 107.8, Mayquel Aguilera 108.6; Moises Mora 125, Claudio Obando 126; Brook Sibrian 108.6, Hilary Romero 107.
Gabriela Fundora (13-0, 6 KOs), 22, a southpaw from Coachella, California, will defend the IBF women’s flyweight title for the second time against Daniela Asenjo (16-3-3, 2 KOs), 33, of Chile, on the Serhii Bohachuk-Vergil Ortiz Jr. undercard on Aug. 10 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Fundora co-promoter Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy announced on Thursday at the Bohachuk-Ortiz kickoff press conference in Los Angeles. Fundora, who is the younger sister of unified junior middleweight titlist Sebastian Fundora, is coming off a fifth-round knockout of Arely Mucino in her first defense in October. Asenjo will fight in the United States for the first time.
Show and tell
Most consider the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez to be the greatest fighter ever from Mexico. The Hall of Famer won world titles in three divisions — junior lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight — fought a who’s who of the best of his time while thrilling fans with his action-packed fights. There are few fighters more revered and universally respected than Chavez. He began his career 87-0 and was 89-0-1 before suffering his first official loss, a split decision to Frankie Randall, which he avenged in an immediate rematch. Chavez boxed from 1981 to 2005 and finished 107-6-2 with 85 KOs. Here is his rookie from the 1988 Panini Supersport multi-sport sticker set from Italy in my collection. I have also had the chance to meet and chat with Chavez on many occasions since he works as a broadcaster on the Mexican broadcast of many major fights we have both been at. Here’s a photo we took together in the Andre Ward-Sergey Kovalev I media center in Las Vegas in 2017. On Friday, Chavez turned 62. Happy birthday!
More show and tell
After the late Vernon Forrest outpointed Shane Mosley for the second time in an immediate rematch and retained the WBC welterweight title he took from the then-pound-for-pound king in their first encounter, he signed a lucrative multi-fight contract with HBO — the first major boxing deal negotiated by Al Haymon (back when he and I often talked multiple times per week). Forrest wanted to unify titles and for the first fight of the deal he was matched with WBA titlist Ricardo Mayorga, who was relatively unknown and a big underdog. Stunningly, Mayorga knocked Forrest out in the third round of a brawl to unify belts. Forrest exercised his right to an immediate rematch and they met again on a card that also included Zab Judah’s split decision over DeMarcus Corley to take his WBO junior welterweight title and Vivian Harris’ unanimous decision over Souleymane M’baye to retain the WBA junior welterweight title. Most figured Forrest would not allow himself to get caught in a firefight again and that as the taller, longer, more skillful boxer he would outbox Mayorga.
While the rematch, which I covered at ringside for USA Today at The Orleans in Las Vegas (where the frozen margaritas were like $2 at the hotel bar!), was indeed far more of a boxing match than slugfest, Mayorga constantly went after Forrest. But Mayorga also boxed well in the best performance of his career and won a well-deserved majority decision (116-112, 115-114, 114-114) to retain the belts. My most vivid memory of that fight week came when the bout was over. As ring announcer Jimmy Lennon began to read the scorecards, Forrest climbed the ring ropes on the media side of the ring just above where I was seated and raised his arms in victory believing he had won. But I already knew that he had lost. I was seated next to one of the guys running CompuBox and he had heard the scores that were given to the folks in the HBO production truck over his headset before they were read aloud (so the truck could very quickly prepare a graphic) and told me the result. The card was on July 12, 2003 — 21 years ago on Friday. Here is a rare site poster in my collection.
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Photos: Alimkhanuly and Muratalla-Farmer: Mikey Williams/Top Rank; De La Hoya and Ortiz: Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy; Ennis-Avanesyan: Melina Pizano/Matchroom Boxing
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