Middleweight contender Janibek ‘Qazaq Style’ Alimkhanuly 12-0 (8) annihilated Danny Dignum 14-1-1 (8) in two rounds to claim the vacant WBO interim world title at Resorts World Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.
It was all one-way traffic for the 29-year-old Kazakh southpaw, who dropped Dignum in the opening round and finished him off with more heavy, accurate blows in the second frame. The time of the stoppage was 2:11.
“I haven’t shown my best punches yet. Maybe in my next fights,” Alimkhanuly said after the fight. “I am in the ring right now and I want to tell every champion in this weight class, I am here waiting for you. I am asking every champion to come and fight me!”
Alimkhanuly’s trainer Buddy McGirt is pleased with the way his charge is developing.
“He gets better and better each fight, each training camp because he’s willing to learn. When we start camp, he tells me what he wants to work on and we do it and put it together,” McGirt said.
Promoter Bob Arum added: “Janibek is the next middleweight superstar. There is no doubt that he is the future of the division. What a sensational performance from a great young man and fighter.”
On the undercard former WBO super featherweight champion Jamel ‘Semper Fi’ Herring 23-4 (11) admitted his career might be over after dropping a unanimous decision to unbeaten lightweight Jamaine Ortiz 16-0-1 (8).
The scores were 96-94, 97-93 and 97-93 after 10 frames.
“He was just quicker on the trigger,” said Herring afterward. “He had a better output. I wasn’t tired or anything. He just beat me to the draw.”
Ortiz was pleased to get the win but admitted he still has things to work on.
“I still got a lot of work to do. I’m just growing and going at the pace I’m going. I gotta learn quick. I gotta pick things up a little bit. I’m not afraid of challenges and I’m here to prove I’m the best to myself, not anyone else,” Ortiz said.
“I feel like I could’ve done a lot better, a lot cleaner performance. I’m hard on myself. I’m always going to be hard on myself. I’m always going to be hard on myself.
“Much respect to a former world champion. That was an achievement I wanted to do in my career. I think I may move up to 140, but if there’s a big fight for a championship or a big name, I may stay at 135.”
As for Herring, he said he wants to take some time to consider his future.
“I have to think about it, but tonight, I don’t think I am where I need to be. Jamaine was just the better man,” Herring said.
“Maybe this is it.”
