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WBO orders champion Hamzah Sheeraz to face Janibek Alimkhanuly next

The World Boxing Organization has officially ordered their world super middleweight champion, Hamzah Sheeraz, to make his next title defense against former unified WBO and IBF middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, giving the two parties 20 days to reach agreement, or a purse bid will be scheduled.

Despite never having competed at the weight, Alimkhanuly, 17-0 (12 KOs), of Oxnard, California, via Zhilandy, Kazakhstan, was recently designated the WBO’s current No. 2-rated super middleweight contender, behind No. 1-ranked former champion Canelo Alvarez.

However, Alvarez is already committed to challenge WBC super-middleweight champion Christian Mbilli in October, clearing the way for Alimkhanuly.

In an official statement, the WBO say they chose Alimkhanuly over Denmark’s undefeated No. 4-ranked Jacob Bank, who had twice officially petitioned the organization for the mandatory spot, because Alimkhanuly’s higher ranking and championship history trumped Banks’ status as a longtime WBO Global super middleweight champion.

WBO Championship committee chairman Luis Batista Salas says his committee also noted that while Bank’s three successful defenses of his regional title are significant, he has only faced one world-rated opponent in his nearly six-year career.

Alimkhanuly was the unified IBF and WBO middleweight champion when he was stripped of his IBF middleweight title and suspended by the WBO after testing positive for the endurance-enhancing substance meldonium in the leadup to a planned unification bout against WBA champion Erislandy Lara in late 2025.

The WBO say they have ruled that Alimkhanuly has been cooperative and served his suspension, making him eligible for this opportunity to get right back into the thick of the championship picture.

33-year-old Alimkhanuly was last seen stopping Anauel Ngamissengue in the fifth round in April 2025.

27-year-old Sheeraz successfully defended his belt against Simon Zachenhuber in late July at the Jeddah Superdome.

“Canelo, get ready! Inshalla, I'll beat Shiraz and we'll unify the title!” said Alimkhanuly on his social media. “I can't wait for this fight! I'll soon become a world champion in two divisions!”


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The WBO have now officially ordered Hamzah Sheeraz to defend his WBO super middleweight title against Janibek Alimkhanuly next, designating Janibek as their mandatory challenger over Jacob Bank.

The parties have 20 days to reach an agreement, or purse bids will be scheduled.



Has been ordered.. 2 years after it was ordered for middleweight. But now Sheeraz is the champion.
20 days given for negotiations.

Bricktop phoning the WbO president demanding an explanation for this sh1t.

jameswilson wrote: ↑14 Aug 2026, 11:52 Bricktop phoning the WbO president demanding an explanation for this sh1t.

Good fight.

Hard to pick a winner.

Sheeraz blows hot & cold while Alimkhanuly is steady, does everything right, but he'll be moving up & coming off of inactivity (2 fights in 3 years by the time they meet). Only one of his last eleven opponents have seen the final bell and that was my man Mr 2 Sharp.

That result puts Alimkhanuly on a par with Nathan Heaney but below Felix Cash

This is an interesting one, although I am leaning a bit toward the Kazakh.

If Sheeraz fights the way he did against Zachenhuber, I don't think it will end well for him. However, if he boxes smartly behind a jab, he could find some success. I also wonder how Alimkhanuly comes back after a period of inactivity (currently 16 months) and last year's health scare, which was the purported reason behind the failed drug test.

On top of that, it remains to be seen if Sheeraz and his people actually agree to the fight, which is hardly a gimmee and certainly won't be for Canelo-like money.

WBO order Hamzah Sheeraz vs Janibek Alimkhanuly

Hamzah Sheeraz has been ordered to put his belt on the line against Janibek Alimkhanuly.

An ordered fight between WBO super middleweight champion Hamzah Sheeraz vs Janibek Alimkhanuly is officially back in play. A couple of years ago the WBO had ordered Alimkhanuly, who held their middleweight title at the time, make a mandatory defense against Sheeraz, and while the negotiation period for that fight was extended for a time, Sheeraz would ultimately withdraw from those talks.

Fast forward two years and now one weight class higher, and now the WBO is ordering Sheeraz to make a title defense of his 168 lb title against Alimkhanuly as the mandatory challenger, as reported by ESPN. The pair have just over a couple of weeks to reach terms for the fight before it gets ordered to purse bid.

Alimkhanuly stirred up some controversy late last year when he tested positive for a banned substance that scrapped a planned fight against Erislandy Lara, but he has consistently denied any intentional wrongdoing. Alimkhanuly would ultimately be stripped by the IBF and suspended by the WBO, but that suspension officially came to an end last month, with the WBO issuing this statement as their rationale for positioning him for this title opportunity at 168.

“Prior to his suspension, Mr. Alimkhanuly fully cooperated with the WBO investigative and administrative process,” a WBO letter, dated Aug. 7, said. “He submitted the relevant medical documentation and information in support of his defense. The Committee considered that Mr. Alimkhanuly was a first-time offender, had an otherwise impeccable personal and professional record, and had not previously failed an anti-doping test or violated WBO Rules.”

For now we’ll have to wait and see how private negotiations hold up between the fighters and whether a purse bid is ultimately necessary.

Good. No more cherry picking for Sheeraz

Hamzah Sheeraz ordered to face former unified middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly by WBO

The WBO have ordered super middleweight champion Hamzah Sheeraz to face former unified middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly next.

The WBO have said the fighters have 20 days to make a deal before purse bids are ordered.

Sheeraz (24-0-1, 19 KOs) won the 168 pound title in May, beating Alem Begic with a Round 2 knockout before defending it in July with a points win over Simon Zachenhuber in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs) has not fought since April 2025 when he defended his IBF and WBO middleweight belts.

In December last year, four days before a scheduled bout with Erislandy Lara, it was announced Alimkhanuly failed a drug test. Alimkhanuly returned a positive result for meldonium.

Alimkhanuly denied any wrongdoing, saying at the time: "I have always supported clean sport you know this well. I was surprised when I read the news." In February, the WBO suspended him for a year but allowed him to keep the belt.

A month later, the IBF stripped him of their title. The WBO have now confirmed that Alimkhanuly's suspension has been "terminated" as of July 10.

Super middleweight contender Jacob Bank had also pushed to be named Sheeraz's mandatory challenger. Bank (20-0, 11 KOs) of Denmark had looked set to face Sheeraz next, with both fighters entertaining the match-up following their wins on the same card last month.

However, the WBO has ruled that Alimkhanuly be Sheeraz's mandatory challenger over Bank having cleared him to fight again."Prior to his suspension, Mr. Alimkhanuly fully cooperated with the WBO investigative and administrative process," a WBO letter, dated Aug. 7, said.

"He submitted the relevant medical documentation and information in support of his defense. The Committee considered that Mr. Alimkhanuly was a first-time offender, had an otherwise impeccable personal and professional record, and had not previously failed an anti-doping test or violated WBO Rules.

"The Committee does not minimize the seriousness of an anti-doping violation."

Hamzah Sheeraz weighs in on the WBO ordering a fight with Janibek Alimkhanuly following Janibek’s positive drug test and reducing his suspension:

"I think it's a joke. I think what the WBO have done here is disgraceful to the sport of boxing as well.

What they're essentially doing is rewarding someone who's been popped.

I suppose it comes down to ulterior motives and corruption... I feel like it's all based on personal relationships."

I don’t think Hamzah Sheeraz will face Janibek Alimkhanuly; he will vacate his WBO super-middleweight title.

If Sheeraz vacates, he can’t credibly claim it is for sporting integrity reasons, due to his refusal to face a drug cheat, while also pursuing a big-money fight with Canelo.

Hamzah’s next opponent will be interesting because he has only one fight left on his Queensberry contract before a likely move to Zuffa Boxing, and major bouts with Canelo or Eubank Jr. cannot be made because both already have fights lined up.

Can't see Sheeraz taking this. Isn't there another German out there with a 52-0 record he can fight?

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑20 Aug 2026, 03:32 Hamzah Sheeraz weighs in on the WBO ordering a fight with Janibek Alimkhanuly following Janibek’s positive drug test and reducing his suspension:

"I think it's a joke. I think what the WBO have done here is disgraceful to the sport of boxing as well.

What they're essentially doing is rewarding someone who's been popped.

I suppose it comes down to ulterior motives and corruption... I feel like it's all based on personal relationships."

So, Sheeraz feels the ordered fight is "... all based on personal relationships." I find that statement ironic and more than a little hypocritical. I will admit Sheeraz earned his shot for the vacant WBO SMW belt, but he was spoon-fed a "can't lose to" opponent in that title fight and his first defense was lined up against a fighter who was marginally better. Why? I suspect it may have something to do with his personal relationship with a certain Saudi as much as his boxing skills.

Self-awareness completely non-existent here - he's benefited massively from being one of Turki's favourites.

Bank says WBO's handling of Janibek sends 'terrible message'

Fast-rising super middleweight contender Jacob Bank is a man on a mission.

The 25-year-old Danish fighter has won all three fights this year, with WBO titlist Hamzah Sheeraz in his crosshairs.

However, the WBO recently reinstated previously banned former IBF, WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly as their No. 2 ranked fighter and mandatory challenger to Sheeraz.

Canelo Alvarez, who fights WBC titlist Christian Mbilli on October 31, is the top-ranked contender but will depart the rankings after contesting another sanctioning body title. Diego Pacheco sits at No. 3, while Bank is No. 4.
The move doesn't sit well with Bank for many reasons.

"It's actually not even the shortened suspension that bothers me the most — although that decision is completely impossible to understand in itself," Bank (20-0, 11 KOs) told The Ring.

"Either you receive a suspension for a doping violation, or you don't. Changing the length of that suspension halfway through is extremely unusual and raises a lot of questions.

"The bigger issue is that the WBO has effectively rewarded him. They've put him straight back at the top of the rankings and immediately made him the mandatory challenger. That's where this becomes completely wrong, it isn't just about me or Hamzah ... it affects every fighter who worked their way up the rankings fairly."

"Let Janibek come back, one or two fights, and prove that he's back — as a clean athlete after serving his punishment. That's how sport is supposed to work. Instead, he serves a reduced suspension and is rewarded with the division's biggest opportunity. That sends a terrible message to fighters worldwide who believe in a clean sport.

"What surprises me most is that none of the major boxing media outlets have really questioned this decision."

While the decision is frustrating for Bank and his team, they are moving forward and will close out their breakout year with one more fight hinting it'll be another overseas assignment.

"I've had some very positive discussions with Primetime Boxing, who've had productive talks with Spencer Brown and Gold Star Promotions," he said. "It's a good plan, but not something I'm ready to reveal publicly just yet."

Meanwhile, Bank's promoter Kasper Holgersen of Primetime Boxing is also disappointed with how he perceived his fighter has been treated after remaining loyal to the sanctioning body.

"It's incredibly frustrating because this isn't the first time," he said. "When Hamzah Sheeraz was fighting for the vacant WBO world title, the WBO also found a way to avoid Jacob Bank. Just two days after Jacob stopped William Scull on January 31, they suddenly announced the Sheeraz vs. [Alem] Begic fight.

"The explanation was that the fight had to be finalized before Jacob faced Scull because it supposedly needed to happen as quickly as possible. It didn't take place until May 23, people can draw their own conclusions from that.

"And now this happens. So yes, we're both frustrated and deeply disappointed by the WBO's actions. Jacob has been incredibly loyal to the WBO throughout his career, winning several youth and regional titles, following their path and climbing the rankings the right way ... this is the reward he gets.

"Our position in the Janibek case is very clear: the WBO is making a serious mistake. Bringing a fighter back after a suspension is one thing. But reducing a doping suspension they imposed itself, and then immediately rewarding that fighter with mandatory status, sends exactly the wrong message.

"It tells fighters around the world that a doping violation doesn't just have limited consequences — it can actually be followed by a shortcut to a world title opportunity. That is not the message any sanctioning body should be sending if it truly stands for fairness and a clean sport."

The Janibek Alimkhanuly situation made me look into how badly PED cases have been previously handled.

The WBO cut Alimkhanuly’s suspension short, immediately installed him as the mandatory challenger for Hamzah Sheeraz's 168lbs world title — a division the Kazakh has never fought in — and did so after sixteen months of inactivity.

And it made me wonder whether other fighters have received similarly lenient treatment after failing PED tests. Here’s what I discovered:

• Luis Ortiz tested positive for the banned diuretics chlorothiazide and hydrochlorothiazide in 2017. The WBC quickly reinstated Ortiz and he challenged Wilder for the WBC heavyweight title just months later, in March 2018.

• Alexander Povetkin tested positive for meldonium in 2016 and ostarine later that year. Despite the two adverse findings, Povetkin returned to the upper reaches of the heavyweight rankings and became the WBA mandatory challenger, facing Anthony Joshua for the unified heavyweight championship in September 2018.

• Canelo tested positive twice for clenbuterol in February 2018. He received a six-month suspension, backdated to his first positive test, and his first fight after his suspension was an immediate world-title rematch with Gennady Golovkin in September 2018.

• Francisco Vargas tested positive for clenbuterol ahead of his 2016 WBC super-featherweight title defence against Orlando Salido. He received no suspension, retained his world title and was allowed to defend it against Salido as scheduled.

• Lucian Bute tested positive for ostarine following his 2016 fight with Badou Jack. He received only a six-month retroactive suspension (essentially no punishment whatsoever), allowing him to resume his career later that year.

• Erik Morales produced two positive tests for clenbuterol before his 2012 rematch with Danny Garcia. Despite the positive tests, Morales was licensed to compete and the WBA/WBC world-title fight went ahead as scheduled.

• Roy Jones Jr. and Richard Hall both tested positive for anabolic steroids following their 2000 world light-heavyweight title fight. Neither boxer received a suspension or fine.

• Luis Nery tested positive for zilpaterol from a sample collected before his 2017 WBC bantamweight title victory over Shinsuke Yamanaka. The WBC imposed no suspension, allowing Nery to retain his world title,

• Lucas Browne tested positive for clenbuterol after winning the WBA heavyweight title from Ruslan Chagaev in 2016. Although stripped and suspended for six months, Browne was subsequently restored directly to the WBA's top five and positioned for another world-title fight against Shannon Briggs. That opportunity collapsed when Browne produced another adverse finding, this time for ostarine.

• Billy Joe Saunders tested positive for oxilofrine ahead of his scheduled 2018 WBO title defence against Demetrius Andrade. Saunders vacated his title and was able to resume his career in Britain against Charles Adamu just two months later.

• Shane Mosley admitted under oath during the BALCO trial that he injected EPO while preparing for his 2003 fight against Oscar De La Hoya. He received no suspension or sporting sanction, and his victory and the world titles he won remained intact on his "official" professional record.

Am I the only boxing fan that thinks the sport loses credibility when situations like those listed above seem to happen far too often?