Notebook: No unification for Lara, but still locked in on replacement
Fulton misses weight, Foster bout now for interim lightweight belt; Niyomtrong wins 108 title; former 135 contender Ebo Elder dies of brain cancer; Harvey in spotlight; Quick hits; Show & tell
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Erislandy Lara, the WBA middleweight titleholder, hoped he would be facing WBO/IBF counterpart Janibek Alimkhanuly in a three-belt unification fight in the co-feature of the PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view card on Saturday (8 p.m. ET) at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
But then came the curve ball — the fight was canceled on Tuesday when Alimkhanuly, who, like Lara, was being randomly tested by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association in the lead up to the bout, returned a positive test for the banned substance meldonium.
Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs), 32, a 2016 Olympian from Kazakhstan fighting out of Oxnard, California, was immediately dropped from the fight and his airline ticket to San Antonio canceled.
But PBC and TGB promotions have excelled in making sure they have a credible opponent training and on standby just in case of an emergency, be it a failed drug test, a weight issue, an injury or illness.
Johan Gonzalez was that man and was pressed into service for an unexpected shot at Lara’s 160-pound title on the card headlined by WBC interim junior welterweight titlist Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz defending against WBA junior lightweight titleholder Lamont Roach Jr.
Lara (31-3-3, 19 KOs), a Cuban defector fighting out of Houston, who at 42 is oldest current world titleholder, would have liked to unify belts but was grateful he will remain on the show, defend his title, not waste a training camp and make money.
