By: Sean Crose
Undefeated WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly took the belt on Saturday night at the Palms Casino Resort in Vegas. Alimkhanuly 12-0 is looking to impress, as he has indicated that other champions are not eager to enter the ring with him. However, if the Kazakh is to stand any chance of having a big fight sooner rather than later, he will have to beat Denzel Bentley 17-1-1. The Alimkhanuly-Bentley duel is scheduled for 12 championship rounds.
Alimkhanuly worked after his south jab in the first. Bentley managed to maintain range and do a stab of its own in the second, but couldn’t achieve much success. Alimkhanuly, meanwhile, is clearly looking to land a powerful shot at his opponent. In the third round, it looked like the Kazakh fighter was beginning to land effectively against the challenger. Bentley’s problem is simple – if he wants to be more proactive, he’ll let himself be ready for Alimkhanuly’s tough shots.
By the fourth lap, it’s worth wondering if Bentley can survive until the final bell rings. Although he wasn’t seriously injured, he certainly fired a few heavy shots without getting anything in return. With that said, Bentley was able to throw in some nice punches of its own in the fifth inning. The sixth inning saw Alimkhanuly give a lot of looks while continuing to look for sports to attack after his jab. The clumsy Alimkhanuly was able to land effectively in the seventh inning, while Bentley tried to use effective aggression.
The eighth inning was a difficult one to judge, as each man had his moments in a bout that continued at a fast pace. “We have to support this guy,” veteran coach Buddy McGirt told Alimkhanuly between rounds. Why Alimkhanuly avoided bodybuilding at the ninth highest octane, as well as in the previous eight rounds, is a mystery. To be sure, Bentley took shots in the tenth. The penultimate round was the one where Alimkhanuly picked Bentley from distance. However, Bentley remained competitive to the end.
In the 12th and final round, Alimkhanuly proved he hit too hard for Bentley to claim the win. Bentley was on his feet, but he didn’t do enough to win the round, although he certainly tried. Wounded and exhausted, Bentley spent the final round dodging his men, then courageously confronting Alimkhanuly. However, Bentley’s face showed signs of being horribly beaten. Suffice to say, it was not surprising that Alimkhanuly was awarded the winning decision by unanimous consent of the side referees.
