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Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Vincenzo Gualtieri Middleweight
Title Unification Showdown Oct. 14
Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly is ready to conquer the
middleweight division one belt a time.
The reigning WBO world champion will lock horns against
unbeaten IBF world champion Vincenzo Gualtieri in a title
unification showdown on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Fort Bend
Epicenter in Rosenberg, Texas. This will be the first boxing
event to take place at the brand-new, state-of-the-art
sports and entertainment venue, which opened its doors last
week.
In the 10-round lightweight co-feature, U.S. Olympic silver
medalist Keyshawn Davis takes another step up in class
against Philadelphia-born contender Nahir Albright.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with AGON Sports &
Events, Janibek-Gualtieri and Davis-Albright will be
broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30
p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.
"There’s no doubt in my mind that Janibek is the best
middleweight in the world,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum.
“He has a chance to prove that once again with a victory
over a tough champion in Vincenzo Gualtieri. I’m also
pleased to see the future of the lightweight division,
Keyshawn Davis, take his biggest step up to date against
Nahir Albright. Top Rank is thrilled to be hosting the first
boxing event at Fort Bend Epicenter, where fans near the
Houston area will be in for a real treat.”
Janibek (14-0, 9 KOs) is a 2016 Olympian from Zhilandy,
Kazakhstan, who took the fast lane to becoming champion. In
2021, he scored knockout victories over former world
champions Rob Brant and Hassan N'Dam. He captured the WBO
interim middleweight world title last May with a
second-round destruction of Danny Dignum and was elevated to
world champion after Demetrius Andrade vacated the title.
Janibek has made two defenses, beating British champion
Denzel Bentley via unanimous decision last November and
blasting out Canadian contender Steven Butler via
second-round stoppage in May.
Janibek said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to fight a
fellow world champion. This fight gets me one step closer to
becoming the undisputed middleweight champion, and I thank
Vincenzo Gualtieri for putting his belt on the line. He is
doing what the other champions have refused to do. I will,
however, return home to Kazakhstan as a unified champion.”
Gualtieri (21-0-1, 7 KOs) debuted as a professional in
October 2015. He went 15-0 before fighting to a draw against
fellow unbeaten German Thomas Piccirillo in August 2020. He
captured his first regional title with a points victory
against Billi Facundo Godoy in November 2021. He defended it
twice before capturing the vacant IBF middleweight world
title with a unanimous decision win against then-undefeated
Brazilian Esquiva Falcao.
Gualtieri said, “Janibek is an outstanding boxer who has
done it all as an amateur and a professional, just like
Esquiva Falcao. Janibek is a southpaw, just like Esquiva
Falcao. Janibek was the favorite, just like Falcao. In the
end, Janibek, like Falcao, will lose because I have the
better team and the will of a champion. Only that will
decide who wins and who loses, just as it did against Falcao.”
Davis (9-0, 6 KOs), from Norfolk, Virginia, is making a
rapid ascent up the lightweight rankings. After going 3-0 as
a pro, he captured a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In
November 2021, he signed a long-term promotional contract
with Top Rank and has since scored six victories, including
brutal knockouts against Esteban Sanchez and Omar Tienda. In
April, he pummeled Anthony Yigit en route to a ninth-round
TKO victory. He shut out former European champion Francesco
Patera via 10-round unanimous decision in July.
Davis said, “I’m coming to Texas to beat up Nahir Albright.
Simple as that. He’s not on my level, and after I put on a
show, a message will be sent. The future of the lightweight
division is here.”
Albright (16-2, 7 KOs) lost a majority decision in his pro
debut in 2016. Undeterred, he won his next 14 fights and
captured his first regional title with a decision win over
Jeremy Hill in July 2021. He stopped Michael Dutchover in
the sixth round of their showdown two months later before
suffering a decision loss against Jamaine Ortiz in February
2022. Albright bounced back seven months later by handing
Brazilian standout Estivan Falcao his first loss. He is
coming off an upset majority decision win against U.S.
Olympian Karlos Balderas in July.
Albright said, “This is another step in the right direction.
He’s another person in my way. I’m not worried about
Keyshawn Davis. I just beat an Olympian in my last fight. I
want to fight the best and prove I belong in the ring with
the top guys.”
The ESPN+-streamed undercard will feature a host of
up-and-coming talents:
U.S. Olympic Silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. (6-0, 6 KOs)
will make his third appearance of 2023 in a six-round
heavyweight battle against Don Haynesworth (17-8-1, 15 KOs).
Torrez hopes to notch his third first-round victory of the
year after first-round stoppages over James Bryant in
February and Willie Jake Jr. in August.
Junior welterweight standout Giovanni Marquez (6-0, 4 KOs),
son of former world champion Raul Marquez, will put his
unbeaten record on the line in a scheduled six-rounder. The
Houston native is coming off a second-round TKO win against
Nicky Vitone in August.
U.S. Olympic silver medalist Duke Ragan (8-0, 1 KO) will
make his 2023 debut in an eight-round featherweight fight
against Jose Perez (11-1-2, 5 KOs). Ragan, from Cincinnati,
Ohio, turned away a stiff challenge from Puerto Rican
veteran Luis Lebron last October at The Theater at Madison
Square Garden.
2016 Italian Olympian Guido Vianello (10-1-1, 9 KOs) will
take on Florida veteran Curtis Harper (14-9, 9 KOs) in an
eight-round heavyweight tilt. In his last fight, Vianello
lost his '0' after a right hand from veteran Jonnie Rice
caused a cut above his left eye, forcing the referee to end
the bout in the seventh round. Vianello was ahead on all
three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage.
Kelvin Davis (9-0, 6 KOs), the eldest of the fighting Davis
Brothers from Norfolk, will see action in an eight-round
junior welterweight clash. Davis returns after a
fourth-round knockout win against Derrick Whitley Jr. in
July.
Unbeaten lightweight prospect Alan “Kid Kansas” Garcia (9-0,
8 KOs) will face an opponent to be named in a six-rounder.
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