An unbeaten world middleweight champion is targeting a showdown with Canelo Alvarez.
Canelo currently reigns as the undisputed super-middleweight champion having defeated William Scull in Riyadh on May 3 to add the IBF crown to his unified WBC, WBA and WBO titles at 168lbs.
The Mexican superstar is now preparing to face fellow pound-for-pound great and unbeaten American switch-hitter Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford on September 12 at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The highly anticipated showdown was announced just moments after Canelo defeated Scull at the beginning of the month.
Despite having the remainder of his year mapped out, Canelo is already being targeted for a bout against unbeaten and unified WBO and IBF middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, who has reiterated his interest in facing the Mexican icon.
Speaking on social media, Janibek claimed that he is planning on becoming the undisputed champion at middleweight this year, before focusing his attention on Canelo in a fight that could take place next May.
“This year, I’m taking Carlos [Adames] down and grabbing my third title. Then I’ll retire [Erislandy] Lara. And in May next year, I’m stepping in with Canelo to become the undisputed champion of both divisions! Inshallah!”
Janibek made the first defence of his WBO and IBF titles last month in a fifth round stoppage victory over the previously unbeaten Anauel Ngamissengue in his home country of Kazakhstan. The 32-year-old – who has branded himself the sport’s most avoided champ – remains unbeaten in all 17 of his professional outings, with 12 of those wins coming inside the scheduled distance.
His next bout is yet to be confirmed, although there is a possibility that the unbeaten Kazakh could face either WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames or WBA champion Erislandy Lara, moving a step closer to becoming undisputed at 160lbs.
