By: Sean Crose
It’s safe to say that the middleweight division isn’t what it used to be, at least in terms of attracting public attention. Some of the biggest names in boxing history have been middleweight champions. Bob Fitzsimons, Harry Greb, Tony Zale, Ray Robinson, Carlos Monzon, Marvin Hagler, and Gennady Golovkin brought prestige and fame to the middleweight division. While Zhanibek Alimkhanuly doesn’t carry the same weight as the aforementioned names, there’s no denying that the man has found success in the middleweight division. With a 15-0 record, the 31-year-old Kazakhstani currently holds the WBO and IBF titles.
Alimkhanuly will put those belts, as well as his unbeaten record, on the line Saturday night in Las Vegas when he takes on 21-0 Andrei Mikhailovich in a scheduled 12-round bout. Of course, much of the attention this weekend will be on Jaron “Boots” Ennis defending his welterweight title in Philadelphia, but that doesn’t mean Alimkhanuly and Mikhailovich won’t get a chance to shine in front of the ESPN+ cameras. This is middleweight, after all, and the world is waiting for its next big name to make its presence felt. No small feat.
However, achieving dominance in the division is no easy task. However, while Alimkhanuly has yet to face any big names, he has certainly made an impression. Using a low left hand and good footwork, the man has a left that can do serious damage. Alimkhanuly also does a great job of throwing combinations. After all, he has stopped 10 of his fifteen opponents in that range. To win this weekend, Mikhaiovich will have to stop the defending champion from landing well. However, that is where the difficulty lies – as Alimkhanuly is notorious for finding ways to land hard on his opponents, especially when it comes to his vicious hook.
