WBO president Gustavo Olivieri has categorically denied n after Janibek Alimkhanuly was put in because the obligatory challenger for Sheeraz’s WBO tremendous middleweight title.
Alimkhanuly, the previous unified middleweight champion, failed a VADA anti-doping check for a banned substance simply days earlier than his scheduled three-belt unification with Erislandy Lara this previous December.
The struggle was canceled, however the WBO later terminated Alimkhanuly's suspension early and has now controversially put in him as Sheeraz's obligatory challanger, regardless of Alimkhanuly having by no means competed at 168 kilos.
Sheeraz was sad with the WBO's ruling and made his emotions clear h.
"I believe it's a joke," Sheeraz stated. "I believe what the WBO have executed right here is disgraceful to the game of boxing. What they're primarily doing is rewarding somebody who has [tested positive], so to me, it doesn't make sense.
"What the WBO have executed right here — to me, it's corrupt," Sheeraz continued. "And I'll say it as it’s, I really feel prefer it's all based mostly off relationships. These strikes being made are all based mostly off private relationships or no matter it might be, as a result of it's come out of nowhere and is extraordinarily not proper for the game of boxing.”
After the interview, Uncrowned reached out to Olivieri for a response to Sheeraz's feedback.
"I respectfully however unequivocally disagree together with his assertions, significantly any suggestion of 'corruption,' improper 'motives,' or selections influenced by 'private relationships,'" Olivieri informed Uncrowned.
In a follow-up despatched Tuesday, the WBO offered Uncrowned with an in depth clarification of why it dominated the way in which it did.
"First, Zhanibek by no means stepped contained in the ring in reference to the anti-doping matter," Olivieri stated. "The bout didn’t proceed. That reality materially distinguishes his case from different circumstances, together with Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney, the place the competition really occurred and the anti-doping findings arose in reference to a accomplished championship bout. These are basically totally different factual circumstances and shouldn’t be handled as interchangeable circumstances.
"Second, Zhanibek was a first-time offender. Throughout the disciplinary proceedings, he introduced mitigating circumstances for the WBO's consideration, together with supporting medical proof. The WBO however imposed disciplinary measures that had been broader than the suspension imposed by the licensing fee governing his most up-to-date bout in Kazakhstan."
Alimkhanuly was suspended for six months by the Kazakhstan Skilled Boxing Federation (KPBF), whereas the WBO's suspension was twice as lengthy. The WBO stated when suspending Alimkhanuly that it reserved the fitting to switch the suspension, and finally did so "following the WBO's overview of the whole document, together with Zhanibek's cooperation and compliance with the related circumstances."
The WBO has a longstanding custom of permitting current WBO champions to maneuver up or down in weight and obtain preferential consideration in that new weight class, and even turn into obligatory challenger.
One instance Olivieri supplied to Uncrowned was Keyshawn Davis.
Davis was stripped of his WBO light-weight title in June 2025. He then moved as much as tremendous light-weight and competed twice in that division in non-title bouts earlier than leaping as much as welterweight and being ranked No. 1 within the division. He was later named obligatory for Devin Haney, regardless of having by no means fought at 147 kilos.
Davis is only one of many circumstances the place a current WBO champion was made obligatory in a special weight class, even with out preventing in that division. The Davis instance is arguably probably the most related one, although, as a result of it demonstrates how the precedent applies even for champions who could also be thought of to not be in good standing as a consequence of current occasions.
Olivieri argued that Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs) was a stronger contender to be obligatory than the undefeated Jacob Financial institution (20-0, 11 KOs) due to the Kazakh's accomplishments at 160 kilos, which included being the unified WBO and IBF champion. Olivieri stated that Financial institution's document and résumé weren’t corresponding to Alimkhanuly's.
The WBO president concluded by insisting that Alimkhanuly's doping matter was concluded when his suspension ended, and had no bearing on his skill to be named the obligatory contender for Sheeraz.
