On Saturday, Janibek Alimkhanuly has a prospect to break in a category that impaired to be one of the most absolute best in boxing. With manage middleweights like Canelo Alvarez, Gennadiy Golovkin, and Erislandy Lara preventing in heavier sections or lazy, can Alimkhanuly, already the WBO champion, turn out to be the Disagree. 1 fighter at 160 kilos? If he beats IBF champ Vincenzo Gualtieri (ESPN/ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET), there are plethora arguments to say that name.
At the undercard, younger light-weight Keyshawn Davis (9-0, 6 KOs) is preventing for the 3rd age this yr when he faces Nahir Albright in a 10-round bout. With a victory, can he be within the dialog to be the 2023 chance of the yr?
Additionally Saturday, yongster middleweight champion Tim Tszyu is going through Brian Mendoza within the first protection of the name he inherited when Jermell Charlo used to be stripped of the belt prior to his tremendous middleweight battle towards Alvarez in September. Tszyu has been noteceable this yr, with two KO victories over Tony Harrison and Carlos Ocampo. Can he observe up with any other stoppage win towards Mendoza, who hasn’t ever been knocked out in his occupation?
And what about heavyweight champion Tyson Arouse’s battle towards former MMA champion Francis Ngannou? Can this be a aggressive bout? And can Terence Crawford battle Errol Spence Jr. nearest?
Mike Coppinger, Timothy Bradley Jr., Ben Child, Nick Parkinson and Brett Okamoto have some solutions.
Don’t be stunned if … Janibek Alimkhanuly laws the middleweight category
The reality he’s situated to be the Disagree. 1 man within the 160-pound weight category is a testomony to his good fortune. The 30-year-old, undefeated fighter from Kazakhstan has overwhelmed some feature fighters on his solution to profitable the WBO belt. Two years in the past, he blocked former titlist Rob Brant and overpowered a light Hassan N’Dam. He additionally has noteceable second-round KO wins towards Danny Dignum and Steven Butler.
It doesn’t seem like there’s any person within the category to really problem Alimkhanuly (14-0, 9 KOs). This has been the worst that middleweight has took a peek contemporary reminiscence. Lots of the large names named above that experience roamed the category are both lazy or in alternative weight categories, departure probably the most storied weight categories in boxing lovely luminous.
That still explains how Gualtieri (21-0-1, 7 KOs) were given his name. He picked up the vacant IBF belt with a win over Esquiva Falcao in a bout between two midrange contenders who have been ranked prominently by way of the sanctioning frame.
What makes Janibek a fascinating fighter is that he carries magnificient energy, unhidden in his 64.3% stoppage charge. An noteceable win may manufacture him a larger attract one in every of boxing’s maximum storied sections. — Child
Don’t be stunned if … Keyshawn Davis ends because the 2023 males’s chance of the yr
Davis, a emerging megastar on the planet of boxing, is situated to seize the name of chance of the yr and manufacture a noteceable jump into the area of worldwide champions in 2024.
It comes as refuse miracle, given his outstanding ability. Davis has already taken ailing 3 fighters this yr, boasting an noteceable blended file of 70 victories and a trifling seven losses. His victories over Juan Carlos Burgos, Anthony Yigit and Francesco Patera have solidified his place as one fighter to look at at this time.
What units Davis aside is not just his lightning-fast palms but additionally his ordinary talent i’m ready. He has amazed enthusiasts in simply 9 skilled fights, preventing at the undercard of various championship bouts. Davis showcases a mastery of elite ways, together with stunning keep an eye on, frames and impeccable timing. His command of those ways finds adulthood and finesse past his years, and his skill to similar the display — possessing a ferocious killer intuition — additional cements his situation as a blue-chip ability and an impressive contender.
Davis continues raising his recreation, inching nearer to the endmost objective of saying an international name and turning into a unutilized participant within the game. — Bradley
Don’t be stunned if … Francis Ngannou provides Tyson Arouse an original problem
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Mike Tyson: Arouse vs. Ngannou gained’t be as one-sided as community suppose
Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim take a seat ailing with Mike Tyson and Francis Ngannou to speak about Ngannou’s mindset and technique going into his first-ever boxing fit vs. Tyson Arouse.
I’m no longer predicting a win, right here. OK? So, peace ailing with the ‘Oh, in fact the MMA reporter thinks Francis will win.’ That’s no longer what I’m pronouncing. If Ngannou, in his first boxing fit, have been to overcome the most efficient heavyweight boxer on the planet, I wouldn’t be stunned — I’d be completely stunned. However will I be stunned if he has his moments all over the battle? Disagree.
I believed Conor McGregor would get clowned by way of Floyd Mayweather in 2016. I believed there used to be a sound prospect he would glance awkward, flailing at pictures and get drained early. I didn’t suppose that as a result of I used to be ailing on McGregor, I simply recognize the candy science of boxing. I respect that after somebody is world-class at boxing, similar to Mayweather and Arouse, they’re able to making others glance foolish who aren’t world-class in that game, similar to McGregor and Ngannou.
McGregor became in a good efficiency despite the fact that. I consider Ngannou can too, for a accumulation of the similar causes. He’s clever and might be ready. He additionally informed me one thing individually that I will’t no with. A battle is a battle. When there’s a battle in any condition, Ngannou is a fighter. Unadorned and easy. — Okamoto
Don’t be stunned if … Tim Tszyu vs. Brian Mendoza is nearer than community be expecting
If Tszyu brings the similar completing intuition he confirmed towards Ocampo, Mendoza might be in bother on Saturday.
Tszyu (23-0, 17 KOs) is flight on the time, having responded questions on whether or not he can do business in with fighters on the manage tier. Momentum is notable in boxing and Tszyu’s trust is in the fitting playground following a brutal knockout of Tony Harrison in March and that first-round wreck of Ocampo in June. Mendoza hasn’t ever been blocked, however how will he cope if Tszyu swarms him like he did Ocampo in the summertime?
Tszyu, 28, is going into his first protection of the WBO yongster middleweight name with the expectancy to secure the belt upcoming striking in combination some sturdy performances. Nonetheless, Mendoza could also be on a roll, so don’t be stunned for those who additionally see Mendoza’s hand raised in an disappointed win.
Mendoza’s self assurance has been restored with knockout wins over Sebastian Fundora (7th around) in April and Jeison Rosario (5th around) in November, when he additionally began because the underdog as he’s going to be towards Tszyu. The ones two upsets are testomony to the need of the American challenger, and the best way Mendoza (22-2, 16 KOs) chopped ailing the larger Fundora with a dreadful left hook makes you marvel whether or not he can do it once more to peace Tszyu’s house folk in Sydney.
It is a lavish matchup (one of the most absolute best in 2023), more likely to end with a KO and maximum community be expecting Tszyu to bring it. Nevertheless it may not be the case. — Parkinson
Don’t be stunned if … a Terence Crawford-Errol Spence Jr. rematch doesn’t occur nearest
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Stephen A.: Terence Crawford is the most efficient on the planet at this time
Stephen A. Smith tabs Terence Crawford as the most efficient pound-for-pound fighter upcoming his win over Errol Spence Jr.
It’s overwhelmingly most probably Crawford and Spence battle yet one more age upcoming Spence exercised the rematch clause in August, however there’s nonetheless paintings to be executed prior to the go back bout is finalized.
Crawford gained the undisputed welterweight championship in dominant type by way of seventh-round TKO, and the two-way rematch clause within the promise stipulated that the winner would make a choice the burden for the second one battle.
All the way through his postfight interview, Spence mentioned he would go as much as 154 kilos. Crawford, in the meantime, is prone to marketing campaign at 147 kilos. The rematch, given the lopsided nature of the primary battle, is extra canny at a unutilized weight, nevertheless it’s as much as Crawford. He may comply with a battle at 154 kilos, but additionally may ask that Spence manufacture some monetary concessions to manufacture it occur.
On the time, the burden hasn’t been yes upon, assets informed ESPN, despite the fact that the pay-per-view rematch is deliberate for February. A catchweight between 147 and 154 kilos is sensible, despite the fact that Crawford may comply with go as much as 154. Alternatively, he mentioned upcoming Canelo Alvarez’s win over Jermell Charlo that he used to be not excited about a battle with Charlo.
If Spence doesn’t battle Crawford nearest, a yongster middleweight debut battle towards somebody like Brian Castano could be attention-grabbing. Nevertheless it’s a long way much more likely we can see Crawford-Spence 2 at some weight above 147 kilos. — Coppinger
