Osleys Iglesias first world title defence set; Hamzah Sheeraz ordered to defend against Janibek Alimkhanuly
The first world title defence of Osleys Iglesias (15-0, 14 KOs) has been formally announced.
The reigning IBF super middleweight world champion will face Oliver Zaren (19-0-1, 8 KOs) at the Théâtre Capitole in Québec City, Canada. Those in the Canadian province of Québec will be able to catch the action live on Punching Grace. Those elsewhere in the country and abroad will be able to do so on DAZN.
Eye of the Tiger Management (EOTTM) will be the promoter of the event. It will see Iglesias make the first defence of his IBF world title. He won the belt earlier this year against Pavel Silyagin.
Osleys Iglesias first world title defence set against Oliver Zaren
“Historic is a term that is often overused in sports, but this time, the numbers speak for themselves: Nine titles on the line at a single card in Québec is simply unprecedented,” said EOTTM president Camille Estephan in a press release about the event headlined by Iglesias and Zaren. “It is all the more exciting for us to present an event of this magnitude at the Capitole, one of the most beautiful venues in North America, where every seat gives our fans the opportunity to be at the heart of the action.”
“This fight is a dream come true for me, a dream I have cherished since childhood, and one that will ultimately come true with my victory,” said Zaren in the same press release. “Osleys Iglesias is strong, tall, powerful, and I know he scares even the world’s elite, but not me, because I know my level. On October 8, I will not come to Québec as a visitor. I will come as a conqueror.”
WBO orders Hamzah Sheeraz to face Janibek Alimkhanuly
In other super middleweight news, the WBO have ordered Hamzah Sheeraz (24-0-1, 19 KOs) to defend the world title against Janibek Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs).
The organization requested the teams of both fighters to enter into negotiations in a letter dated Aug. 7. They have 20 days from that date to “reach and execute mutually acceptable terms.” Failure to do so will result in a purse bid.
Sheeraz won his world title earlier this year against Alem Begić. He has since made one defence of the belt. Alimkhanuly has not fought since April of last year. He has spent much of that time since serving a suspension after testing positive for meldonium. The IBF stripped Alimkhanuly of his middleweight title as a result.
The Kazakh was at one point the WBO middleweight world champion. Although the organization did not strip him of the belt after his positive test, they did suspend him for a year. That suspension was lifted on July 10 after Alimkhanuly’s “compliance with the conditions imposed by the [WBO] committee.” He has since petitioned the organization to become mandatory challenger to Sheeraz, resulting in the Aug. 7 ruling.
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Featured Image Credit
Vincent Éthier/EOTTM
S Saadeq Ahmed
Currently writing out of Toronto, Canada, Saadeq first became a boxing fan while living in Doha, Qatar. Looking to become more involved in the sport, he began writing about boxing and has had work published in outlets such as Seconds Out and Boxing Social. He looks forward to continue covering boxing on Big Fight Weekend.