KAZAKH CRUSH: Janibek KOs Gualtieri in 6 to Unify WBO & IBF Middleweight World Titles
ROSENBERG, Texas (Oct. 14, 2023) — The Middleweight Boogeyman is now a unified world champion.
Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs) defeated Vincenzo Gualtieri (21-1-1, 7 KOs) via sixth-round TKO to unify the WBO and IBF middleweight world titles Saturday evening at Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg, Texas.
Janibek, the 30-year-old fighting pride of Zhilandy, Kazakhstan, took a few rounds to establish his rhythm. But once he figured out Gualtieri, the former IBF champ’s fate was sealed.
Janibek, a southpaw, controlled the earlier rounds against Gualtieri, who used lateral movements and occasional bursts of offense. Then, a counter left uppercut from Janibek in the fifth round hurt and dropped Gualtieri.
Gualtieri survived the round, but several unanswered shots in round six forced referee David Fields to halt the fight at 1:25.
Janibek said, “This is my style of fighting. This is Qazaq style, and this is what I will continue to do.
“We knew from the beginning that he wasn’t going to fight back. He was waiting because he thought I was going to get tired. But I didn’t get tired.
“We would like to add another two belts to this collection. We hope that our promoter Top Rank can organize that.”
Gualtieri said, “Congratulations to Janibek. He was better tonight. But I think it was a little bit early to end the fight. But he was better today.”
Keyshawn Davis Defeats Nahir Albright
U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis (10-0, 6 KOs) continued his rise up the lightweight rankings with a majority decision win over Philadelphia-born contender Nahir Albright (16-3, 7 KOs).
After a battle of jabs in the opening round, Davis found a home for his right hand, sneaking it over Albright’s shoulder throughout the fight. Davis also counterpunched Albright with right and left hands, which made Albright less eager to throw punches down the stretch.
Davis, however, eased up in the final two rounds, allowing Albright to narrow the scorecards. It was not enough as one judge scored the fight 95-95, which was overruled by tallies of 96-94 and 97-93.
Davis said, “I had it as a win for me. That’s all that matters. He was a tough fighter. And this fight today gave me some good experience. I was feeling good. I was just boxing. I was just having fun and doing what I want to do.
“I just want to show that I belong at the top of the 135-pound division. I’m working my way up there. If Jose Pedraza is willing to take a fight with me, then let’s do it.”
Heavyweight: U.S. Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. (7-0, 7 KOs) blasted out San Antonio native Tyrrell Anthony Herndon (21-5, 14 KOs) via second-round TKO. Torrez was aggressive from the opening second, cutting the distance to land short combos from his southpaw stance. Torrez dropped him with a left hand, which began an onslaught that forced referee Alejandro Leon to stop the fight. Time of stoppage: 1:26.
Torrez said, “This is a process. Top Rank has the best matchmakers, and I fight whoever they put in front of me. If they say I’m ready to fight eight-rounders next, I’ll be ready.
“I’m not expecting knockouts. When I don’t expect them, that’s when they happen. It’s a Catch 22. If I expect the knockouts, then they don’t happen. I just want to show my boxing ability, and I got two rounds in this time. I’m looking forward to the next one.”
Heavyweight: Italian standout Guido Vianello (11-1-1, 9 KOs) scored a workmanlike eight-round unanimous decision win against veteran Curtis Harper (14-10, 9 KOs). Vianello struggled to land cleanly on a slippery Harper, but out-landed him in every round. Scores: 80-72 and 79-73 2x.
Junior Welterweight: Houston native Giovanni Marquez (7-0, 5 KOs) knocked out Donte Strayhorn (12-5-1, 4 KOs) in the second round. Marquez hunted Strayhorn from the opening round, launching power shots and picking off any return fire with blocks and rolls. Marquez caught Strayhorn with consecutive uppercuts in the second round and dropped him. He dropped him once more before a fight-ending flurry. Time of stoppage: 2:47.
Featherweight: U.S. Olympic silver medalist Duke Ragan (9-0, 1 KO) overcame an almost one-year layoff to narrowly defeat Jose Perez (11-2-2, 5 KOs) by eight-round split decision. Ragan had trouble shrugging off the ring rust and was even dropped in round five with a left hook. Despite the setback, he came back strong with power shots in the final rounds. Scores: 76-75 2x Ragan and 76-75 Perez.
Junior Welterweight: Kelvin Davis (10-0, 6 KOs), Keyshawn’s older brother, toppled Spanish veteran Narciso Carmona (11-2-1, 6 KOs) via eight-round unanimous decision. Davis controlled most of the fight with quick shots from the outside, though he was stunned late in the seventh round with a right hook as he engaged on the inside. Scores: 80-72, 79-73 and 77-75.
Junior Welterweight: Alan “Kid Kansas” Garcia (10-0, 8 KOs) tallied a six-round decision victory against Nelson Hampton (10-8, 6 KOs). Garcia had trouble finding Hampton in the early rounds, but he effectively targeted the body by the final rounds. Scores: 60-54 3x.
Junior Lightweight: Humberto Galindo (14-3-2, 11 KOs) and Oscar Bravo (25-13-1, 11 KOs) fought to an eight-round majority draw. Galindo established an early lead with combinations from the outside, but Bravo came on strong in the later rounds. Scores: 76-74 Galindo and 75-75 2x.
Heavyweight: Uzbek phenom Jakhongir Zokirov (1-0, 1 KO) made a successful pro debut by vanquishing Guillermo del Rio (4-5-1, 2 KOs) via fourth-round TKO. Time of stoppage: :39.
