Janibek Alimkhanuly’s unified middleweight title reign has extended into the new year.
The ultimate duration will depend on the outcome of an ongoing drug testing investigation.
BoxingScene has confirmed that Alimkhanuly and his team will observe the unsealing of his B-sample associated with his previous positive drug test. The session is scheduled for January 8, after which next steps will be determined based on the B-sample test results.
Kazakhstan’s Alimkhanuly, 17-0 (12 KOs), was removed from a three-belt unification clash with WBA 160lbs titlist Erislandy Lara, which had been due for December 6 in San Antonio. A November 15 sample collected through random drug testing as contracted through Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) discovered the presence of the banned substance meldonium.
Lara, 32-3-3 (19 KOs), went on to face Venezuela’s Johan Gonzalez on short notice and claimed a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision on the Isaac Cruz-Lamont Roach PBC undercard.
Meanwhile, Alimkhanuly has not fought since an April 5 homecoming title defense in Astana, Kazakhstan. He remains under indefinite suspension, pending the outcoming of the ongoing investigation.
As is the case with nearly every boxer who tests positive, Alimkhanuly not only professed his innocence but also expressed wonderment over how the banned substance was detected in his system.
“I have always supported clean sport you know this well,” Alimkhanuly stated at the time via social media. “I was surprised when I read the news. VADA took the first test and said everything was clean. I have not made any changes to my vitamins.
“I don’t know what happened with the second test, so I requested a retest.”
As is the standard with all adverse findings in drug tests, the offending party has the right to request the testing of their B-sample. It is extremely rare for the results to differ.
However, there have been occasions when boxers were cleared upon proving contamination or a broken chain of custody in collecting the drug testing samples.
For now, Alimkhanuly is at the mercy of those looking into the matter.
At risk are his IBF and WBO title reigns, along with a potential suspension should he fail to be cleared of wrongdoing.
Alimkhanuly first claimed the interim version of the WBO 160lbs title in May 2022. He was upgraded to full titlist later that year and has made five successful defenses. Three have come with the IBF belt at stake, which he first claimed in an October 2023 knockout win over then-unbeaten titleholder Vincenzo Gualtieri.
