Janibek Alimkhanuly targets Canelo Alvarez unification

Janibek Alimkhanuly has set his sights on a future unification bout with Canelo Alvarez. The fighter used social media to signal his intent, stating that he plans to defeat Hamzah Sheeraz and then move toward a title unification with Alvarez.

To achieve this goal, Alimkhanuly must first navigate a move to the super middleweight division. The WBO has officially designated him as the mandatory challenger for Sheeraz at the 168-pound weight class. This means Alimkhanuly must secure a fight with Sheeraz and win it to claim the WBO title.

Alimkhanuly's plan relies on several specific outcomes. He must defeat Sheeraz, and then Canelo Alvarez must defeat Christian Mbilli in their scheduled October 31 encounter. Only if Alvarez wins that fight will he hold the WBC belt necessary for the unification Alimkhanuly is seeking.

Even if Alimkhanuly becomes the WBO champion, he faces significant commercial hurdles. Alvarez maintains a strong market position and has many potential opponents with high drawing power. These include fighters like Chris Eubank Jr., Terence Crawford, Dmitry Bivol, and Jaron Ennis.

Other names that could interest Alvarez include Sebastian Fundora, David Benavidez, Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Conor Benn. The difficulty for Alimkhanuly is that holding a major title does not guarantee a fight with Alvarez, as the champion can choose opponents based on commercial appeal.

This challenge is not unique to Alimkhanuly. Osleys Iglesias, the IBF champion, remains a dangerous fighter at 168 pounds, yet Alvarez has not indicated interest in a matchup with him. Alimkhanuly must first complete his mandatory obligations against Sheeraz before he can address the commercial realities of a potential fight with Alvarez.