Alimkhanuly vs Jacob Bank Agreed for WBO Belt Sheeraz Dropped

The WBO super-middleweight belt now has two names fighting over it, and neither of them is Hamzah Sheeraz. The sanctioning body confirmed on October 7 that Janibek Alimkhanuly and undefeated Dane Jacob Bank have agreed terms for the vacant title, after Sheeraz chose to hand back the strap rather than defend it against the Kazakh mandatory.

The timing was pointed. Sheeraz dropped the belt shortly after his promoter, Queensberry, had actually won the purse bids to stage the mandated defence. The Brit, 23-0-1 with 19 KOs and last seen stopping Alem Begic in two rounds, had made his feelings clear: he branded the WBO's decision to install Alimkhanuly as mandatory 'corrupt,' citing the Kazakh's failed doping test from last year.

How We Got Here

That test is central to the whole mess. Before a planned unification with Carlos Adames late last year, Alimkhanuly tested positive for meldonium and was stripped by the IBF. The WBO's response was to parachute him straight into the super-middleweight mandatory slot — the move that lit the fuse under Sheeraz and ultimately cost the WBO its champion without a punch being thrown.

With Sheeraz gone, the WBO moved down its rankings and formally ordered Alimkhanuly to face Bank instead. WBO president Gustavo Olivieri said both camps had submitted written notification that terms were agreed, with further details to follow.

The Opponent Nobody's Talking About

Bank is the interesting part of this. The 25-year-old Dane sits at #8 with a flawless 20-0 record on paper — the FightSplit database has him at 19-0 (11 KOs), most recently stopping Paulinus Ndjolonimu in five. He's done his work largely on the European circuit, and the standout line on his CV is the stoppage of previously unbeaten William Scull earlier this year.

Alimkhanuly, 33, has long sold himself as one of the sport's most avoided men, and he built that reputation unifying titles at middleweight with genuinely nasty, heavy-handed southpaw boxing. A win here makes him a two-division champion. As for Sheeraz, his next outing — believed to be the last fight on his current Queensberry deal — is expected to be announced soon.