Notebook: Janibek: 'Middleweight division runs through me now'

Defends against Butler on Saturday; Moloney, Astrolabio vie for bantamweight belt; Romero-Barroso now for vacant title; Kambosos deal; Hamadouche retires; Quick hits; Show and tell

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When Janibek Alimkhanuly defended the WBO middleweight title by unanimous decision against lightly regarded Denzel Bentley in November, his performance was extremely underwhelming.

He was expected to plow through Bentley and knock him out with ease. But the fight went the distance and Bentley even had some success.

Alimkhanuly came into the fight with some labeling him the boogey man of the 160-pound division and finished with that notion in serious doubt.

Alimkhanuly knows it was not his best performance. Far from it, in fact. So, he is aiming for a much more impressive showing when he makes defense No. 2 against Stephen Butler in the main event of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card on Saturday (ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET, prelims on ESPN+ at 6:15 p.m. ET) at Stockton Arena in Stockton, California.

“I prepared very well for this fight,” Alimkhanuly said at Thursday’s fight-week news conference. “I don’t want to just defend my title. I want to unify titles. In my last fight, I fought all 12 rounds, and I felt like something was missing.”

Because of that, Alimkhanuly made a change in his training camp.

“We added a new conditioning coach, and he has helped me a lot,” Alimkhanuly said. “I had a very good preparation. I really enjoy working with (trainer) Buddy McGirt at Brickhouse Boxing (in North Hollywood, California).

“I got a new conditioning coach because I understand that it will help me grow. If you keep doing the same things, then you will stay in the same place. I wanted to grow.”

Butler does not appear to be a tough fight for Alimkhanuly, at least on paper. He has been knocked out in his three defeats, including by then-WBA “regular” middleweight titlist Ryota Murata in 2019.

Butler (32-3-1, 26 KOs), 27, of Montreal, is riding a four-fight winning streak since an upset fifth-round knockout to Jose de Jesus Macias in January 2021. Needless to say, Butler is excited to get another chance to fight for a world title.

“I have a lot of respect for Janibek for giving me the opportunity, but he’ll be making a big mistake if he tries to think past me,” Butler said. “I want to knock him out. I want the belt. That’s it.”

Alimkhanuly (13-0, 8 KOs), 30, a southpaw and 2016 Olympian from Kazakhstan, would like to secure a title unification fight and as difficult as those bouts would be to make, they have no shot at happening if he loses to Butler.

“I wanted to unify. I wanted to fight (WBC titlist) Jermall Charlo. I wanted to fight (WBA titleholder) Erislandy Lara,” Alimkhanuly said. “In order to do that, I knew that I had to make changes.

“As a fighter, I really respect (Butler) because he says what he thinks. But I’m going to show him that not only will he not be able to knock me out, he won’t even be able to touch me.” 

Alimkhanuly was elevated from WBO interim titlist to the full titlist last year when Demetrius Andrade vacated the title and moved up in weight rather than make a mandatory defense against him. He was not the only name fighter in the division who appeared to avoid Alimkhanuly prior to his shaky outing against Bentley.

“Demetrius Andrade gave up his title to avoid fighting me. He ran eight pounds up the scale. He is the ultimate duck,” Alimkhanuly said. “Jaime Munguia turned down a shot at the title to fight weaker opposition. They are the two ducks, but I am the champion now.

“I called out the division’s other champions, and they didn’t answer. Butler answered the call. I am fighting Saturday to prove a point. I will knock out Butler in devastating fashion. The middleweight division runs through me now. I am here to stay. While the other champions continue not to fight, I will challenge the best and knock out everyone in my path.”

Moloney-Astrolabio co-feature

In the co-feature, Jason Moloney and Vincent Astrolabio will square off for the WBO bantamweight title left vacant in January when undisputed champion Naoya Inoue moved up in weight.

Both men are hungry to secure a world title in a division in need of a breakout fighter now that Inoue has moved on.

“This means everything to me,” Moloney said. “I’ve been boxing for nearly 20 years now and chasing this one dream of becoming champion of the world. It’s something I think about every single day of my life. I train so hard. I’ve made so many sacrifices to be in this position. So, I’m ready. Nothing will make me prouder than having that belt wrapped around my waist and sharing this special moment with my family and my team.

“This is a really special moment for us. I’ll be fighting to become world champion this weekend. And my (twin) brother, Andrew, will fight for (the vacant WBO junior bantamweight title) on the (Devin) Haney versus (Vasiliy) Lomachenko card (on May 20). This is an incredible story — twin brothers that have been on this journey for nearly 20 years. For us to finally achieve it and to become champions one week apart is incredible.”

Moloney (25-2, 19 KOs), 32, of Australia, will be getting his third title shot, having suffered both of his losses in his previous title bouts, a split decision challenging Emmanuel Rodriguez in 2018 and by seventh-round knockout to Inoue in 2020. Moloney has won four fights in a row since the loss to Inoue.

The Philippines’ Astrolabio (18-3, 13 KOs), 25, notched his biggest win via close decision against two-division champion Guillermo Rigondeaux in February 2022. A win over Moloney would be even bigger given the stakes.

“I am very determined to take the belt home to the Philippines for my family, my country and my people,” Astrolabio said. “I am prepared 100 percent. I am very much ready for this fight.”

At the press conference, he Astrolabio showed up with a stuffed kangaroo.

“I have this stuffed kangaroo because I will give it to Jason,” Astrolabio said. “I have it because I think of Jason as a baby kangaroo.”

Romero-Barroso for vacant title

The Rolly Romero-Ismael Barroso fight will be for the vacant WBA's junior welterweight title, the organization announced.

It also announced that reigning 140-pound titlist Alberto Puello, who was supposed to make his first defense against Romero in the main event of a PBC tripleheader on Saturday (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET) at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, has been stripped of the belt and reclassified as a “champion in recess.”

The reason for the move is because Puello (21-0, 10 KOs), 28, of the Dominican Republic, tested positive for the banned performance-enhancing drug clomiphene in a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association administered test last month and was dropped from the card pending his case being heard by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

His case is on the agenda for Wednesday’s commission meeting, at which he is likely to have his temporary suspension extended. Meantime, the show goes on with Romero-Barroso. Puello’s mandatory challenger was Barroso.

Romero (14-1, 12 KOs), 27, of Las Vegas, has been idle for a year since getting knockout out by Gervonta Davis in the sixth round of a competitive WBA “regular” lightweight title fight last May 28.

“It doesn’t matter who I fight,” Romero said. “I’m a star and I’m gonna shine no matter what. I can’t wait to put on a show in my hometown of Las Vegas and for everyone watching on Showtime. I’m leaving the ring with that belt.”

Barroso (24-3-2, 22 KOs), 40, of Venezuela, was scheduled to fight on the Puello-Romero undercard and was more than happy to move into the main event to fight for the title.

“I’m very happy about this opportunity and I’m not going to waste it,” Barroso said. “You will see an extremely hungry fighter going all out for the victory. I’m very thankful to my team for getting me this opportunity and for standing by my side throughout everything. I’m winning that title.”

The WBA, in its resolution stripping Puello and approving Romero-Barroso, also said the winner must face Ohara Davies, the next mandatory challenger, no later than 120 days after Saturday.

In the event that the fight ends in a draw or a no decision, the WBA said it will issue a new ruling that also will take into account the outcome of Puello’s hearing and the possibility of his B sample being opened.

Kambosos-Hughes eliminator

An IBF lightweight title eliminator (for the No. 2 position) between former unified champion George Kambosos Jr. and Maxi Hughes will headline a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card July 22 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, sources with knowledge of the plans told Fight Freaks Unite.

Kambosos (20-2, 10 KOs), 29, also has re-signed with promoter Lou DiBella and now will also be co-promoted by Top Rank, which was key to getting the fight done, sources said.

Kambosos-Hughes was initially targeted for July 29 at The Palms in Las Vegas. Now Top Rank is planning for the July 29 card to include unified women’s strawweight titlist Seniesa Estrada in a defense, sources said.

Kambosos has lost two lopsided decisions in a row to Devin Haney, first in a unification fight for the undisputed crown in June and in a rematch in October. Hughes (26-5-2, 5 KOs), 32, a southpaw from England, has won seven in a row, most recently a majority 12-round decision over former featherweight titlist Kid Galahad in September.

Hamadouche retires

Former IBF women’s junior lightweight titlist Maiva Hamadouche (22-2, 18 KOs), 33, of France, announced her retirement this week due to an eye injury.

“I announce here the end of my career,” she wrote on social media. “Following an eye injury, fighting is now forbidden to me. I loved all those beautiful years (of boxing). I thank the various promoters I had the opportunity to work with, especially Malamine Kone, who gave me my first world title. … I always trained hard, had fun too, loved hard sparring sessions.”

Hamadouche, who participated in the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, won the vacant IBF 130-pound world title in 2016 and made six defenses.

In her final bout, she lost a unanimous decision in an action-packed slugfest in a unification fight against Mikaela Mayer in November 2021 in Las Vegas.

Quick hits

Brazilian southpaw Esquiva Falcao (30-0, 20 KOs), 33, and Vincenzo Gualtieri (20-0-1, 7 KOs), 30, of Germany, will vie for the vacant IBF middleweight title on July 1 in Dusseldorf, Germany, Carl Moretti of Top Rank, Falcao’s promoter, told Fight Freaks Unite. Gualtieri promoter Agon Sports won the recent purse bid for the fight. The title became vacant when Gennadiy Golovkin relinquished it in February.

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Melvin Jerusalem (20-2, 12 KOs), 28, of the Philippines, will make his first defense of the WBO strawweight title against mandatory challenger Oscar Collazo (6-0, 4 KOs), 26, of Puerto Rico, on May 27 (DAZN) on the undercard of the Golden Boy card headlined by welterweight Alexis Rocha against Anthony Young, sources with knowledge of the plans told Fight Freaks Unite. Golden Boy, which co-promotes Collazo, won the purse bid for the bout in late February for $152,000 to beat an offer of $101,000 by Kameda Promotions.

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Showtime will stream three preliminary bouts Saturday (6:30 p.m. ET) from The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on the Showtime Sports YouTube channel and Showtime Boxing Facebook page before the start of the Rolly Romero-Ismael Barroso tripleheader main card on the network at 9 p.m. ET. The three bouts are junior welterweight Esteuri Suero (12-0, 9 KOs), a 23-year-old from the Dominican Republic in his U.S. debut, against countryman Starling Castillo (17-1-1, 13 KOs), 27, in a 10-rounder; bantamweight Michael Angeletti (7-0, 6 KOs), 26, of Spring, Texas, against Venezuela’s Michell Banquez (20-3, 14 KOs), 32, in an eight-rounder; and junior lightweight Justin Viloria (1-0, 1 KO), 18, of Whittier, California, versus Colombia’s Pedro Pinillo (5-1, 5 KOs) in a six-rounder.

Show and tell

After the legendary Felix Trinidad unified junior middleweight titles by 12th-round knockout in his all-time epic battle with Fernando Vargas, he moved up in weight as the star attraction of promoter Don King’s Middleweight World Championship Series, a four-man tournament done in conjunction with HBO that would produce the undisputed champion. Bernard Hopkins outpointed Keith Holmes in the first semifinal to unify the IBF and WBC belts and then Trinidad challenged WBA titleholder William Joppy in the other semifinal a month later.

I am often asked about the best atmospheres I have ever been in for a fight. There have been few fights I have covered at ringside where there was more crackling electricity than that of Trinidad-Joppy at a wild Madison Square Garden in New York. It was absolutely nuts. The Puerto Rican fans were out in force to support Trinidad and I can still hear the air horns, drums and thunderous cheers in my head. It was so crazy that police allowed fans to tailgate on 7th Avenue in front of the Garden hours before the show began. I saw it with my own eyes. In the end, Trinidad delivered a massive beating to Joppy in a fifth-round knockout that sent the fans into delirium as he won a title in a third weight class and would move on to meet his Waterloo against Hopkins in the final. But Trinidad-Joppy was as unforgettable and as good as it gets for a big-fight atmosphere. The fight was on May 12, 2001 — 22 years ago on Friday. Here are three posters in my collection: the HBO PPV, a closed circuit version, and one advertising the Australian broadcast.

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Photos: Alimkhanuly-Butler, Moloney-Astrolabio, Kambosos, Mayer-Hamadouche/Mikey Williams/Top Rank; Romero-Barroso/Esther Lin/Showtime

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