THE news that Naoya Inoue could be fighting Sam Goodman in December wasn’t what Murodjon Akhmadaliev wanted to hear.
Akhmadaliev has been waiting patiently, as the WBA super-bantamweight mandatory challenger for over a year, for his turn to fight the Japanese superstar.
Inoue currently holds all the world titles at 122lbs and has beaten Luis Nery and TJ Doheny since Akhmadaliev was made WBA mandatory.
His manager Vadim Kornilov recently spoke to Boxing News about a range of subjects including the situation surrounding Inoue and Akhmadaliev.
“I haven’t really seen a resolution from the WBA or something specific on it,” he said.
Kornilov admitted that Inoue is one of his favourite fighters, “or was”, and recalled a press conference when the multi-weight champion announced he would be moving up to super-bantamweight.
“He actually announced that I’m going to be taking over this division and he mentioned Akhmadaliev,” Kornilov said.
Had Akhmadaliev beat Marlon Tapales in their unification bout last year then he, not Tapales, would have likely went on to face Inoue for the undisputed title. But nonetheless he is still a mandatory challenger as was Nery who lost to Inoue in May.
“And all of a sudden the conversation changes and it’s like oh we’re not hearing the mandatory from the WBA, we don’t know anything about Akhmadaliev,” Kornilov said.
“He’s going to fight this guy, file for a one-time exception to fight TJ Doheny. It’s a very strange situation. Why don’t we just figure out a deal and work something out.”
Akhmadaliev last fought in December stopping Kevin Gonzalez in round eight. The Uzbeki fighter hopes to return in December this year instead of waiting around to find out what Inoue plans to do.
“MJ shouldn’t just sit and wait for him to decide on when he wants to do it so I hope they come to [their] senses,” Kornilov added.
