A unification between Janibek Alimkhanuly and Carlos Adames, two of the three world champions at 160lbs, seemingly remains just a few signatures away from materialising.
The middleweight division has come under fire in recent years, mostly because of a void that was left following the departures of Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin.
But now, there appears to be an opportunity for Alimkhanuly and Adamas – arguably, the two strongest 160lb belt holders – to inject a degree of excitement back into the weight class.
IBF and WBO champion Alimkhanuly comes off an emphatic display, punishing enough to dismantle previously unbeaten operator Anauel Ngamissengue through five rounds.
But despite amassing a string of ruthless performances, it could also be said that the 32-year-old is yet to claim a notable world-level scalp.
Adames, 24-1-1 (18 KOs), hardly boasts a dazzling resume, either, with the 31-year-old having made just two title defences since getting elevated from interim to full WBC champion.
The second of which came against Hamzah Sheeraz, who many felt was fortunate to come away with a draw, when the pair collided in February.
In any case, though, it would seem that Alimkhanuly and Adames are now inching closer towards an intriguing showdown later this year.
Goading his rival, Alimkhanuly wrote on X yesterday: “What’s Carlos got to say now? Where the hell did he disappear to?
“The contract is right in front of him – all he needs to do is sign it, and the fight the fans have been waiting for is on! But I bet he’s hiding in the bathroom!”
Meanwhile, middleweight contender Denzel Bentley, along with Queensberry promoter Frank Warren, has teased in recent weeks that another world title shot is imminent.
The 30-year-old, who is ranked number-one by the WBO, has been clamouring for a rematch with Alimkhanuly since losing to the Kazakh via a unanimous decision in 2022.
So unless Bentley is angling for a crack at WBA champion Erislandy Lara, then he could represent an alternative option – should Adames not sign on the dotted line, that is – for ‘Qazaq Style.’
