Weekend Review: Tim Tszyu proved again against Brian Mendoza that he’s a special all-around fighter.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Tim Tszyu
There are levels to boxing, as they say. Tszyu started as a novelty in terms of perception, just another son of a once great fighter (Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu). Then we realized that he had enough ability to become a legitimate contender. And now, after a series of dominating performances, it seems that he has evolved into an elite fighter who might replicate the accomplishments of his famous father. Tsyzu’s latest success came this past Saturday in his native Australia, where, in typically brutal fashion, he methodically dismantled a solid opponent in Brian Mendoza over 12 rounds to retain his newly awarded 154-pound title. Tszyu (24-0, 17 K0s) doesn’t do any specific thing extraordinarily well but his lack of an obvious weakness makes him an extraordinary fighter. Of course, time will tell how extraordinary. He could be on a collision course with a man he has been chasing for some time, fellow beltholder Jermell Charlo, who said he intends to move back down to 154 after his failed challenge of Canelo Alvarez. Charlo is a next-level fighter at a more-natural weight, one with a combination of ability, speed and power Tszyu has yet to face. I would pick Charlo to win that fight but the gap between them has narrowed significantly, particularly after Charlo’s disappointing effort against Alvarez. That’s the ultimate matchup for Tszyu. If he gets that fight and wins, it would remove any remaining doubt about his ability and lift him to pound-for-pound status. Tszyu could be on his way to becoming a star.
RABBIT PUNCHES
Jermall Charlo’s ongoing hiatus from boxing has created a void at the top of the 160-pound division, one which Janibek Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs) is happy to fill. The former amateur world champion from Kazakhstan destroyed Vincenzo Gualtieri (21-1-1, 7 KOs) to unify two titles on Saturday in Texas, winning by a sixth-round knockout. Alimkhanuly has yet to face a top tier opponent but he passes the eye test. He seems to have all the ingredients to become a star. … Mendoza (22-3, 16 KOs) learned about levels the hard way. His knockout victims Jeison Rosario and Sebastian Fundora are on one level, Tszyu is on another. Mendoza was competitive for the early portion of the fight but faded in the later rounds, as he lacked the tools to neutralize Tszyu’s increasingly punishing attack. The Albuquerque fighter shouldn’t be written off, however, His big victories made it clear that he’s a quality fighter. He’s not finished. … I’ll never understand the appeal of the YouTubers-turned-boxers. I admire their ability to market themselves but their antics are boring and their ability almost non-existent, which doesn’t seem to bother those who find them interesting. Logan Paul fought Dillon Danis and Tommy Fury faced KSI in Manchester, England on Saturday. I couldn’t bring myself to care.
Weekend Review: Tim Tszyu proved again against Brian Mendoza that he’s a special all-around fighter.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Tim Tszyu
There are levels to boxing, as they say. Tszyu started as a novelty in terms of perception, just another son of a once great fighter (Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu). Then we realized that he had enough ability to become a legitimate contender. And now, after a series of dominating performances, it seems that he has evolved into an elite fighter who might replicate the accomplishments of his famous father. Tsyzu’s latest success came this past Saturday in his native Australia, where, in typically brutal fashion, he methodically dismantled a solid opponent in Brian Mendoza over 12 rounds to retain his newly awarded 154-pound title. Tszyu (24-0, 17 K0s) doesn’t do any specific thing extraordinarily well but his lack of an obvious weakness makes him an extraordinary fighter. Of course, time will tell how extraordinary. He could be on a collision course with a man he has been chasing for some time, fellow beltholder Jermell Charlo, who said he intends to move back down to 154 after his failed challenge of Canelo Alvarez. Charlo is a next-level fighter at a more-natural weight, one with a combination of ability, speed and power Tszyu has yet to face. I would pick Charlo to win that fight but the gap between them has narrowed significantly, particularly after Charlo’s disappointing effort against Alvarez. That’s the ultimate matchup for Tszyu. If he gets that fight and wins, it would remove any remaining doubt about his ability and lift him to pound-for-pound status. Tszyu could be on his way to becoming a star.
RABBIT PUNCHES
Jermall Charlo’s ongoing hiatus from boxing has created a void at the top of the 160-pound division, one which Janibek Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs) is happy to fill. The former amateur world champion from Kazakhstan destroyed Vincenzo Gualtieri (21-1-1, 7 KOs) to unify two titles on Saturday in Texas, winning by a sixth-round knockout. Alimkhanuly has yet to face a top tier opponent but he passes the eye test. He seems to have all the ingredients to become a star. … Mendoza (22-3, 16 KOs) learned about levels the hard way. His knockout victims Jeison Rosario and Sebastian Fundora are on one level, Tszyu is on another. Mendoza was competitive for the early portion of the fight but faded in the later rounds, as he lacked the tools to neutralize Tszyu’s increasingly punishing attack. The Albuquerque fighter shouldn’t be written off, however, His big victories made it clear that he’s a quality fighter. He’s not finished. … I’ll never understand the appeal of the YouTubers-turned-boxers. I admire their ability to market themselves but their antics are boring and their ability almost non-existent, which doesn’t seem to bother those who find them interesting. Logan Paul fought Dillon Danis and Tommy Fury faced KSI in Manchester, England on Saturday. I couldn’t bring myself to care.
Janibek Alimkhanuly stopped Vincenzo Gualtieri in the sixth round to unify two 160-pound titles Saturday in Texas.
Janibek Alimkhanuly might now be the man to beat at 160 pounds.
The 30-year-old from Kazakhstan knocked out Vincenzo Gualtieri in the sixth round to unify the IBF and WBO titles Saturday in Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg, Texas.
Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs) took a few rounds to get rolling but, once he did, he overwhelmed his German counterpart.
The beginning of the end came in Round 5, when Alimkhanuly a southpaw, dropped and hurt Gualtieri (21-1-1, 7 KOs) with a counter left uppercut.
Gualtieri survived the round but he took a series of unanswered shots in Round 6 that prompted referee David Fields to stop the fight.
The official time of the stoppage was 1:25.
Alimkhanuly now wants more middleweight belts. Erislandy Lara and Jermall Charlo hold the WBA and WBC titles, respectively.
“This is my style of fighting,” the winner said. “This is (Kazakh) style, and this is what I will continue to do. We knew from the beginning that he wasn’t going to fight back. He was waiting because he thought I was going to get tired. But I didn’t get tired.
“We would like to add another two belts to this collection. We hope that our promoter Top Rank can organize that.”
Janibek Alimkhanuly stopped Vincenzo Gualtieri in the sixth round to unify two 160-pound titles Saturday in Texas.
Janibek Alimkhanuly might now be the man to beat at 160 pounds.
The 30-year-old from Kazakhstan knocked out Vincenzo Gualtieri in the sixth round to unify the IBF and WBO titles Saturday in Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg, Texas.
Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs) took a few rounds to get rolling but, once he did, he overwhelmed his German counterpart.
The beginning of the end came in Round 5, when Alimkhanuly a southpaw, dropped and hurt Gualtieri (21-1-1, 7 KOs) with a counter left uppercut.
Gualtieri survived the round but he took a series of unanswered shots in Round 6 that prompted referee David Fields to stop the fight.
The official time of the stoppage was 1:25.
Alimkhanuly now wants more middleweight belts. Erislandy Lara and Jermall Charlo hold the WBA and WBC titles, respectively.
“This is my style of fighting,” the winner said. “This is (Kazakh) style, and this is what I will continue to do. We knew from the beginning that he wasn’t going to fight back. He was waiting because he thought I was going to get tired. But I didn’t get tired.
“We would like to add another two belts to this collection. We hope that our promoter Top Rank can organize that.”
Weekend Review: Rolando Romero escaped with a belt on an otherwise forgettable night Saturday in Las Vegas.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER?
Rolando Romero
What a disaster. Romero gave a weak performance, hit the canvas, was awarded a dubious knockdown himself and then received the ultimate gift by the referee: a knockout of Ismael Barroso he didn’t deserve in the ninth to win a 140-pound title that is tainted from the beginning Saturday in Las Vegas. On top of that the fight was boring as hell. The boxers landed a combined total of 104 punches over eight-plus rounds, according to CompuBox. It wasn’t a good night for anyone involved. Romero was overly cautious because he didn’t want to get caught by a big shot, which allowed Barroso to lead on all three cards at the time of the stoppage. The 40-year-old slugger from Venezuela didn’t do much either but he put Romero down in Round 3 and pushed the action for most of the fight. He seemed to have victory within his grasp. That’s why the events of Round 9 were particularly galling. First a knockdown that was the result of a push, not a punch. Then a stoppage by referee Tony Weeks even though Barroso was on his feet and defending himself. Bad fight, bad performance by Romero, bad miscue by Weeks. Rarely has a fighter accomplished so little by winning a major belt.
BIGGEST LOSER
Ismael Barroso
Rolando Romero pushed Ismael Borroso down in Round 9. Steve Marcus / Getty Images
You have to feel for Barroso. He did all he could in light of his advanced age to earn a 78-73, 77-74 and 76-75 on the cards after eight completed rounds, leaving him in a strong position to win his first world title late in the game. Then it was gone. The stoppage justifiably outraged many of those watching but that doesn’t do Barroso any good. He lost the fight as the result of a referee’s mistake and might never get another opportunity to challenge for a major championship, which makes Weeks’ actions all the more heartbreaking. Even Romero acknowledged afterward that the fight shouldn’t have been stopped. There’s only way Barroso can get a modicum of justice: a rematch. If anyone deserves it, it’s him after the debacle on Saturday night. Will Romero give him a second chance? He mentioned the names Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia afterward, not Barroso. Hopefully the new titleholder and his handlers will push higher-profile matchups up one fight and do the right thing. Barroso earned it.
BIGGEST LOSER II
Tony Weeks
Should Ismael Barroso (left) been allowed to continue? Steve Marcus / Getty Images
Was the stoppage as bad as it looked? It’s tough to make a case for Weeks, who is a respected veteran referee who had an off night. Barroso might’ve been in a somewhat weakened state after Romero pushed him down and followed with a flurry of punches meant to end the fight. The problem is that few of those shots found the target. And Barroso never stopped fighting back, unloading — and landing — his own hard blows. That’s why Weeks’ ultimate decision was so shocking. The universal reaction surely was, “What?!” Weeks was physically closer to Barroso than anyone else – maybe he saw something we didn’t – but most will agree, based on what they could see, that Weeks blew it. And that was only Part II of this fiasco. The knockdown moments earlier shouldn’t have been a knockdown. Romero did land a left but Barroso took the punch. Replays made it clear that it was a push that sent him to the canvas. Of course, Weeks didn’t enjoy the benefit of a replay. And he would argue that Barroso wasn’t in condition to continue when he stopped the fight, according to his judgment. Still, it’s clear that it wasn’t Weeks’ best night in the ring.
WORST IDEA?
Romero vs. Davis or Garcia
Romero said he would like to defend his new title against Ryan Garcia, which makes sense on more than one level. Garcia’s fanbase would bring a great deal of attention to the fight. And Garcia is deemed beatable after his knockout loss to Gervonta Davis last month, although Romero also was stopped by Tank. My advice to Romero: Be careful what you wish for. Garcia would eat Romero alive. Garcia has the amateur foundation Romero lacks and is both quicker and more powerful than the titleholder. Romero wouldn’t last six rounds. Romero also said after his victory on Saturday that he wants a rematch with Davis, who stopped him in six. Forget it. He was competitive with Davis for five-plus rounds because Davis is a patient fighter who often eases his way into his fights, not because Romero has comparable abilities to that of Davis. Romero would be wise to give Barroso a rematch and continue to develop before tangling with Garcia or Davis a second time.
BIGGEST WINNER II
Janibek Alimkhanuly
Alimkhanuly (14-0, 9 KOs) gave a so-so performance in a unanimous decision victory over Denzel Bentley in November, raising questions about the former amateur world champion’s ceiling. He answered those questions Saturday. The 160-pound titleholder put overmatched Steven Butler (32-4-1, 26 KOs) down three times and stopped him, all in a wild, dominating Round 2. OK, we shouldn’t get carried away with Alimkhanuly’s victory. Butler (32-4-1, 26 KOs) was grossly overmatched, which limits the significance of the winner’s accomplishment. At the same time, the 30-year-old Kazakhstani’s spectacular performance on national television in the U.S. will have boosted his profile and increased his chances of luring a top middleweight into the ring. He called out fellow 160-pound titleholder Jermall Charlo and 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez in the wake of his knockout. I doubt he did enough to land one of those opponents but he certainly took a step in that direction.
RABBIT PUNCHES
The best fight on the Romero-Barroso card was a brilliant, back-and-forth scrap between Kenneth Sims Jr. and Batyr Akhmedov that Sims won by a majority decision. Sims (20-2-1, 7 KOs) has long been considered an excellent technician with limited power who couldn’t quite reach elite status. He did that on Saturday, boxing well, withstanding Akhmedov’s relentless pressure and fighting hard until the end of the battle of 140-pound contenders. He is now a legitimate opponent for anyone. Akhmedov (9-3, 8 KOs)? I can’t blame him for feeling that the powers that be are working against him because he has now ended up on the wrong end of three close, disputable decisions. I hope he doesn’t give up. He’s obviously an excellent fighter. … Kudos to Jason Moloney (26-2, 19 KOs) on his perseverance. The Australian had failed in previous attempts to win major titles against Emmanul Rodriguez and then Naoya Inoue but finally got over the hump against Vincent Astrolabio (18-4, 13 KOs) on the Alimkhanuly-Butler card, winning a majority decision to claim the vacant WBO 118-pound belt.
Weekend Review: Rolando Romero escaped with a belt on an otherwise forgettable night Saturday in Las Vegas.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER?
Rolando Romero
What a disaster. Romero gave a weak performance, hit the canvas, was awarded a dubious knockdown himself and then received the ultimate gift by the referee: a knockout of Ismael Barroso he didn’t deserve in the ninth to win a 140-pound title that is tainted from the beginning Saturday in Las Vegas. On top of that the fight was boring as hell. The boxers landed a combined total of 104 punches over eight-plus rounds, according to CompuBox. It wasn’t a good night for anyone involved. Romero was overly cautious because he didn’t want to get caught by a big shot, which allowed Barroso to lead on all three cards at the time of the stoppage. The 40-year-old slugger from Venezuela didn’t do much either but he put Romero down in Round 3 and pushed the action for most of the fight. He seemed to have victory within his grasp. That’s why the events of Round 9 were particularly galling. First a knockdown that was the result of a push, not a punch. Then a stoppage by referee Tony Weeks even though Barroso was on his feet and defending himself. Bad fight, bad performance by Romero, bad miscue by Weeks. Rarely has a fighter accomplished so little by winning a major belt.
BIGGEST LOSER
Ismael Barroso
Rolando Romero pushed Ismael Borroso down in Round 9. Steve Marcus / Getty Images
You have to feel for Barroso. He did all he could in light of his advanced age to earn a 78-73, 77-74 and 76-75 on the cards after eight completed rounds, leaving him in a strong position to win his first world title late in the game. Then it was gone. The stoppage justifiably outraged many of those watching but that doesn’t do Barroso any good. He lost the fight as the result of a referee’s mistake and might never get another opportunity to challenge for a major championship, which makes Weeks’ actions all the more heartbreaking. Even Romero acknowledged afterward that the fight shouldn’t have been stopped. There’s only way Barroso can get a modicum of justice: a rematch. If anyone deserves it, it’s him after the debacle on Saturday night. Will Romero give him a second chance? He mentioned the names Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia afterward, not Barroso. Hopefully the new titleholder and his handlers will push higher-profile matchups up one fight and do the right thing. Barroso earned it.
BIGGEST LOSER II
Tony Weeks
Should Ismael Barroso (left) been allowed to continue? Steve Marcus / Getty Images
Was the stoppage as bad as it looked? It’s tough to make a case for Weeks, who is a respected veteran referee who had an off night. Barroso might’ve been in a somewhat weakened state after Romero pushed him down and followed with a flurry of punches meant to end the fight. The problem is that few of those shots found the target. And Barroso never stopped fighting back, unloading — and landing — his own hard blows. That’s why Weeks’ ultimate decision was so shocking. The universal reaction surely was, “What?!” Weeks was physically closer to Barroso than anyone else – maybe he saw something we didn’t – but most will agree, based on what they could see, that Weeks blew it. And that was only Part II of this fiasco. The knockdown moments earlier shouldn’t have been a knockdown. Romero did land a left but Barroso took the punch. Replays made it clear that it was a push that sent him to the canvas. Of course, Weeks didn’t enjoy the benefit of a replay. And he would argue that Barroso wasn’t in condition to continue when he stopped the fight, according to his judgment. Still, it’s clear that it wasn’t Weeks’ best night in the ring.
WORST IDEA?
Romero vs. Davis or Garcia
Romero said he would like to defend his new title against Ryan Garcia, which makes sense on more than one level. Garcia’s fanbase would bring a great deal of attention to the fight. And Garcia is deemed beatable after his knockout loss to Gervonta Davis last month, although Romero also was stopped by Tank. My advice to Romero: Be careful what you wish for. Garcia would eat Romero alive. Garcia has the amateur foundation Romero lacks and is both quicker and more powerful than the titleholder. Romero wouldn’t last six rounds. Romero also said after his victory on Saturday that he wants a rematch with Davis, who stopped him in six. Forget it. He was competitive with Davis for five-plus rounds because Davis is a patient fighter who often eases his way into his fights, not because Romero has comparable abilities to that of Davis. Romero would be wise to give Barroso a rematch and continue to develop before tangling with Garcia or Davis a second time.
BIGGEST WINNER II
Janibek Alimkhanuly
Alimkhanuly (14-0, 9 KOs) gave a so-so performance in a unanimous decision victory over Denzel Bentley in November, raising questions about the former amateur world champion’s ceiling. He answered those questions Saturday. The 160-pound titleholder put overmatched Steven Butler (32-4-1, 26 KOs) down three times and stopped him, all in a wild, dominating Round 2. OK, we shouldn’t get carried away with Alimkhanuly’s victory. Butler (32-4-1, 26 KOs) was grossly overmatched, which limits the significance of the winner’s accomplishment. At the same time, the 30-year-old Kazakhstani’s spectacular performance on national television in the U.S. will have boosted his profile and increased his chances of luring a top middleweight into the ring. He called out fellow 160-pound titleholder Jermall Charlo and 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez in the wake of his knockout. I doubt he did enough to land one of those opponents but he certainly took a step in that direction.
RABBIT PUNCHES
The best fight on the Romero-Barroso card was a brilliant, back-and-forth scrap between Kenneth Sims Jr. and Batyr Akhmedov that Sims won by a majority decision. Sims (20-2-1, 7 KOs) has long been considered an excellent technician with limited power who couldn’t quite reach elite status. He did that on Saturday, boxing well, withstanding Akhmedov’s relentless pressure and fighting hard until the end of the battle of 140-pound contenders. He is now a legitimate opponent for anyone. Akhmedov (9-3, 8 KOs)? I can’t blame him for feeling that the powers that be are working against him because he has now ended up on the wrong end of three close, disputable decisions. I hope he doesn’t give up. He’s obviously an excellent fighter. … Kudos to Jason Moloney (26-2, 19 KOs) on his perseverance. The Australian had failed in previous attempts to win major titles against Emmanul Rodriguez and then Naoya Inoue but finally got over the hump against Vincent Astrolabio (18-4, 13 KOs) on the Alimkhanuly-Butler card, winning a majority decision to claim the vacant WBO 118-pound belt.
Watch it: Janibek Alimkhanuly’s brutal second-round knockout of Steven Butler on Saturday.
Middleweight titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly put overmatched challenger Steven Butler down three times in a brutal second round, the third time for good, Saturday night at Stockton Arena in Stockton, California.
See the carnage.
We could be witnessing something a little bit special 👏🏼
Janibek Alimkhanuly blitzes Steven Butler inside two rounds to retain his WBO 160lbs title 👑
Is he the best middleweight on the planet right now?
Watch it: Janibek Alimkhanuly’s brutal second-round knockout of Steven Butler on Saturday.
Middleweight titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly put overmatched challenger Steven Butler down three times in a brutal second round, the third time for good, Saturday night at Stockton Arena in Stockton, California.
See the carnage.
We could be witnessing something a little bit special 👏🏼
Janibek Alimkhanuly blitzes Steven Butler inside two rounds to retain his WBO 160lbs title 👑
Is he the best middleweight on the planet right now?
Middleweight titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly made a statement with a brutal knockout of Steven Butler on Saturday in Stockton, California.
Middleweight titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly wanted to make a statement after a so-so performance in his previous fight, a decision over Denzel Bentley in November.
Mission accomplished.
The 30-year-old Kazakhstani put overmatched challenger Steven Butler down three times in a brutal second round, the third time for good, Saturday night at Stockton Arena in Stockton, California.
Alimkhanuly (14-0, 9 KOs) used his post-fight interview to call out the best in and around the 160-pound division.
We could be witnessing something a little bit special 👏🏼
Janibek Alimkhanuly blitzes Steven Butler inside two rounds to retain his WBO 160lbs title 👑
Is he the best middleweight on the planet right now?
“Champions! Boxing superstars! Where are you? I am waiting,” he said. “Let’s fight. I am the most avoided boxer. I am the middleweight king. Let’s go. Let’s fight. I am ready for anybody. Anytime. Anywhere.”
Alimkhanuly making his second defense of his WBO title, used the first round to size up Butler (32-4-1, 26 KOs), although he landed some good body shots in the opening stanza.
Then, about a minute into Round 2, a left uppercut initiated Butler’s demise.
The punch hurt the Canadian badly and a series of follow-up shots put him down. The brave challenger got up on wobbly legs only to go down again from another flurry.
Butler remained in deep trouble when referee Jack Reiss gave him careful look and one more chance to turn the tide.
He couldn’t. One last barrage of hard, accurate blows — capped by a huge left hand from the southpaw — sent Butler to the canvas one more time, prompting Reiss to wave off the fight.
The official time of the stoppage was 2:35 of Round 2.
The way Alimkhanuly sees it his spectacular stoppage put the other titleholders – Jermall Charlo and Erislandy Lara – on notice. He also has a particular 168-pounder in mind as a potential opponent.
Said the one-time world amateur champion: “Canelo [Alvarez] and Charlo, I’m coming.”
In another bout on the card, Jason Moloney (26-2, 19 KOs) of Australia defeated Vincent Astrolabio (18-4, 13 KOs) of the Philippines by a majority decision to capture the vacant WBO 118-pound title.
The official scores were 116-112, 115-113 and 114-114.
Middleweight titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly made a statement with a brutal knockout of Steven Butler on Saturday in Stockton, California.
Middleweight titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly wanted to make a statement after a so-so performance in his previous fight, a decision over Denzel Bentley in November.
Mission accomplished.
The 30-year-old Kazakhstani put overmatched challenger Steven Butler down three times in a brutal second round, the third time for good, Saturday night at Stockton Arena in Stockton, California.
Alimkhanuly (14-0, 9 KOs) used his post-fight interview to call out the best in and around the 160-pound division.
We could be witnessing something a little bit special 👏🏼
Janibek Alimkhanuly blitzes Steven Butler inside two rounds to retain his WBO 160lbs title 👑
Is he the best middleweight on the planet right now?
“Champions! Boxing superstars! Where are you? I am waiting,” he said. “Let’s fight. I am the most avoided boxer. I am the middleweight king. Let’s go. Let’s fight. I am ready for anybody. Anytime. Anywhere.”
Alimkhanuly making his second defense of his WBO title, used the first round to size up Butler (32-4-1, 26 KOs), although he landed some good body shots in the opening stanza.
Then, about a minute into Round 2, a left uppercut initiated Butler’s demise.
The punch hurt the Canadian badly and a series of follow-up shots put him down. The brave challenger got up on wobbly legs only to go down again from another flurry.
Butler remained in deep trouble when referee Jack Reiss gave him careful look and one more chance to turn the tide.
He couldn’t. One last barrage of hard, accurate blows — capped by a huge left hand from the southpaw — sent Butler to the canvas one more time, prompting Reiss to wave off the fight.
The official time of the stoppage was 2:35 of Round 2.
The way Alimkhanuly sees it his spectacular stoppage put the other titleholders – Jermall Charlo and Erislandy Lara – on notice. He also has a particular 168-pounder in mind as a potential opponent.
Said the one-time world amateur champion: “Canelo [Alvarez] and Charlo, I’m coming.”
In another bout on the card, Jason Moloney (26-2, 19 KOs) of Australia defeated Vincent Astrolabio (18-4, 13 KOs) of the Philippines by a majority decision to capture the vacant WBO 118-pound title.
The official scores were 116-112, 115-113 and 114-114.
