Denzel Bentley criticises WBO over Janibek Alimkhanuly wait

WBO interim middleweight champion Denzel Bentley has voiced his frustration at being sidelined while full titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly serves a one-year suspension for a failed pre-fight drug test.

The 31-year-old Londoner won the interim belt in April with a seventh-round stoppage of Endry Saavedra, but the WBO has told him he must face Alimkhanuly when the Kazakh's ban expires, The Ring Magazine reports. Alimkhanuly received the retroactive suspension after testing positive for meldonium ahead of his scheduled December unification bout with Erislandy Lara. The IBF stripped him of its belt, but the WBO kept him as champion.

Bentley wants movement at middleweight

Bentley, who lost a unanimous decision to Alimkhanuly in November 2022, told talkSPORT he wants to stay active while he waits for a rematch. Rumours have linked him to fights with Liam Smith and British champion George Liddard, but nothing is booked. "I just think it's a bit dumb, to be honest," Bentley said. "You put the whole division on hold because someone's broken the law and he's not really being correctly punished for it. So now, every other middleweight in the world has to wait until he serves his ban."

The middleweight landscape remains stalled, with The Ring title vacant and neither WBA champion Lara nor WBC titleholder Carlos Adames scheduled to fight. Adames has indicated he may move up to super middleweight after decisioning Austin Williams in March. The IBF belt comes into play in August when Aaron McKenna and Etinosa Oliha meet for the vacant strap.

Bentley confirmed the WBO has no plans to strip Alimkhanuly and has mandated the pair fight upon his return. For now, he waits.

Source: ringmagazine.com