BoxRec

This can be most packed and entertaining division if fighters will fight each other

Saul Alvarez
Christian Mbilli
Hamzah Sheeraz
Lester Martinez
Osleys Iglesias
Diego Pacheco
Jacob Bank
Kevin Lele Sadjo
Jaime Munguia

Plus

Terrence Crawford can come from retirement
Janibek Alimkhanuly going up
Carlos Adames going up

Plus lot of interesting guys in top 30 (Wilkens mathieu, Moreno Fendero, Bek Nurmaganbet)

We have at least Canelo - Mbilli, but rest of them just slacking around and protecting their record. maybe we get Sheeraz vs Bank if they can handle oponents today? Martinez vs Pacheco should definitely happen, because both of them fought Aleem which was pathetic. Munguia should be in Canelo - Mbilli undercard, wondering against who. Ive read something about Carlos Adames is willing to fight against Iglesias, but its quiet now.

Cent0089 wrote: ↑25 Jul 2026, 07:43 This can be most packed and entertaining division if fighters will fight each other

Saul Alvarez
Christian Mbilli
Hamzah Sheeraz
Lester Martinez
Osleys Iglesias
Diego Pacheco
Jacob Bank
Kevin Lele Sadjo
Jaime Munguia

Plus

Terrence Crawford can come from retirement
Janibek Alimkhanuly going up
Carlos Adames going up

Plus lot of interesting guys in top 30 (Wilkens mathieu, Moreno Fendero, Bek Nurmaganbet)

We have at least Canelo - Mbilli, but rest of them just slacking around and protecting their record. maybe we get Sheeraz vs Bank if they can handle oponents today? Martinez vs Pacheco should definitely happen, because both of them fought Aleem which was pathetic. Munguia should be in Canelo - Mbilli undercard, wondering against who. Ive read something about Carlos Adames is willing to fight against Iglesias, but its quiet now.

You've compiled a good list of upper-end SMW fighters, but the key, as you noted, is if they fight each other. If that happens, there will be many interesting and competitive matchups.

As possible contenders, I would add only the Cuban Ihosvany Garcia, the winner of the Williamson-Simpson rematch, Demetrius Andrade (who won his comeback bout last night), and, on the fringe, the Uzbek Bektemir Melikuziev.

Canelo will retire within the next 18-months to two years. Apart from Hamzah Sheeraz, I don’t expect him to face any of the other 168lb-ers in your list.

Maybe there’s an outside chance of the Crawford rematch, but Bud seems happily retired.

The other names you’ve listed are good fighters, but not big names.

For sure, some of these guys will inevitably face each other, but I expect the super-middleweight titles to remain fragmented, unless Turki Alalshikh funds a “Super Six” or “World Boxing Super Series” style title unification tournament.

Diego Pacheco fights ugly (too much holding and leaning) and Janibek Alimkhanuly's reputation is in tatters due to being a drug cheat, but then again, Canelo and Jaime Munguia also failed PED tests, so what do I know?

I'm not sure that Kevin Lele Sadjo is good enough. But if other people think he's decent, then who am I to argue?

Hamzah Sheeraz in my opinion, is not going to last long at 168 pounds 'I see him moving up into the 175 divisions, in the near future. But before that? It may be paramount that he lands the big fights real quick before making the weight limit becomes too difficult for him'.

I also suspect Canelo Alvarez may move back up to 175 pounds 'but only for a rematch vs. Dmitry Bivol, and also a potential mega fight vs. Artur Beterbiev' etc.

Note: But yes? Historically the Super Middle Weight Divisions, has always been highly competitive. I believe this is due to the global talent pool when it comes to this division' etc.

Melikuziev blasts Munguia for dodging fight

Super middleweight contender Bektemir Melikuziev is tired of being bullied by boxing politics.

Melikuziev (17-1, 11 KOs) is the mandatory challenger for WBA champion Jaime Munguia (46-2, 35 KOs), but "Bek The Bully" has been having little success getting a crack at the crown that Munguia picked up after a unanimous decision win against Armando Resendiz in May.

"I don’t understand why the WBA is not following its own rules," Melikuziev told The Ring through a translator. "There is an official mandatory challenger, and the champion is obliged to defend his title against that mandatory challenger.

"I was asked to allow Mungia to go ahead of me and fight for the title, but I would definitely be next. I understand Canelo Alvarez doesn't have to follow the rules, but now boxers that are on the same team as Canelo also receive the same privileges?

"This keeps happening over and over again. They are violating their own rules. We always follow the rules. We work our way through the rankings according to those rules. But when it's finally time to receive the opportunity we earned, those same rules are simply not being respected.

"I earned my position as the mandatory challenger inside the ring. I was guaranteed this fight. The WBA guaranteed me this opportunity, and Golden Boy guaranteed me this opportunity as well."

Melikuziev earned his position as the WBA mandatory challenger by beating Darius Fulghum in a spirited title eliminator in May of last year.

The next night, Resendiz shocked Caleb Plant for the Upset of the Year and picked up the WBA interim title. Resendiz was elevated to the full WBA titleholder after undisputed champion Terence Crawford retired in December following his victory over Alvarez in September.

"Munguia fighting me is the fight that makes sense right now," Melekuziev said. "It’s competitive, and many critics actually believe Munguia could be the favorite to win. He is obliged to fight me. There should be no one else ahead of me.

"Stylistically, I’m confident this fight is a guaranteed war. Munguia loves to fight, I love to fight, and this is a great fight. It’s a guaranteed war, and it would be the perfect co-main event for Canelo vs. Christian Mbilli on October 31 in Saudi Arabia. You would have two thrillers and two great fights on the same night.

"Of course, I’m confident that I have everything it takes to beat Munguia. He’s a great fighter. He always comes forward and brings a real war every time he steps into the ring. But that’s exactly what I do, too."

Melikuziev last fought in February and stopped Sena Agbeko in seven rounds after scoring a knockdown and pitching a shutout on the cards for the first six rounds.


"I feel like they are simply ignoring my existence, and I have no fights because I am waiting for my mandatory fight and should not risk my position in another fight. But what position is that?" Melikuziev said.

"I respect all the other boxers, but this is my time, and this is my opportunity. I have earned this."

Those guys should fight more than once per year and then start b(tching about some avoiding

You feel for Melikuziev, and he makes a valid point about the alphabet orgs not following their own rules with regard to mandatories. However, maybe the Uzbek shouldn't have accepted the step-aside money and let Munguia jump the line ahead of him for the title shot.

The divisions needs Super Stars 'In all the great boxing divisions, there is always that one fighter who is a mega star. And all the other fighters by association benefit from that fighter'.

Note: Canelo Alvarez is the only mega star in the Super Middle Weight Divisions 'and when he retires, there will be none until? Some other fighters alleviates themselves to a similar level'.

So yes, does the 168 pound have talent? Yes. But the Cruiserweight divisions for many years, has always been a solid divisions but never a major attraction'.

The last real star at Cruiserweight was David Haye 'I think actually as a Cruiserweight Champion, Haye was bigger than Oleksandr Uysk'.

When David Haye moved up to heavyweight, there were immediate shockwaves throughout the divisions 'Oleksandr Uysk did not have that same effect initially' etc.

Hell with the inactivity we got going right now I don't know who the big stars of the next Boxing era are going to be. They build their reputation a bit, and then by the time you see 'em again you've forgotten that they exist or what they do for a living.