By: Sean Crose
It’s fair to say the middleweight division isn’t what it used to be, as least not as far as capturing the public attention goes. Some of the biggest names in boxing history have been middleweight titlists. Bob Fitzsimons, Harry Greb, Tony Zale, Ray Robinson, Carlos Monzon, Marvin Hagler, and Gennady Golovkin have brought prestige and fame to the middleweight division. Although the name Zhanibek Alimkhanuly doesn’t carry the weight those aforementioned names do, there’s no denying the man has found success in the middleweight division. At 15-0, the 31 year old Kazakh warrior currently holds the WBO and IBF divisional titles.
Alimkhanuly will be putting those belts, as well as his undefeated record on the line Saturday night in Las Vegas when he squares off against the 21-0 Andrei Mikhailovich in a scheduled 12 rounder. Of course, much of the attention this weekend is focused on Jaron “Boots” Ennis’ defense of his welterweight title in Philadelphia, but that doesn’t mean Alimkhanuly and Mikhailovich don’t have the chance to shine in front of ESPN+ cameras. This is the middleweight division after all, a realm waiting for it’s next big name to make its presence felt. No small thing.
Yet achieving divisional dominance is no easy task. Still, while Alimkhanuly hasn’t met any big names, he’s certainly impressed. Employing a low southpaw jab and good footwork, the man has a left that can do serious damage. Alimkhanuly also does a fine job tossing out punches in combinations. He’s stopped 10 out of fifteen opponents within the distance, after all. In order to win this weekend, Mikhaiovich will have to keep the defending titlist from landing well. Therein, however, lies the rub – for Alimkhanuly is notorious for finding a way to land hard on his opponents, especially when it comes to his vicious uppercut.