Steven Butler (32-3-1, 26 KOs), the challenger who seeks to rewrite the narrative, has issued a bold proclamation ahead of his bout with WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly (13-0, 8 KOs). The 12-round main event is slated for the night of May 13 at Stockton Arena in Stockton, California. Butler, despite being the underdog against the 2016 Olympian Janibek, maintains an indomitable spirit. The young, powerful boxer is eager to seize this opportunity to vie once more for a world title.
In the final press conference, tensions were palpable as Janibek and Butler faced off. The display of grit from both boxers was so intense that they had to be separated, with neither willing to concede any psychological ground.
Alimkhanuly returns to the ring following a punishing twelve-round unanimous decision victory over British boxer Denzel Bentley in November 2022 in Las Vegas. Bentley proved to be a relentless opponent, continuously pressing forward, enduring Janibek’s onslaught while inflicting considerable damage of his own. Despite Janibek’s triumph, the physical toll of the bout was evident as Bentley managed to land numerous potent strikes to Janibek’s head, causing considerable swelling around both eyes and injury to his nose.
Looking back, Janibek may have misjudged his strategy by focusing too much on delivering heavy single shots, hoping to take down Bentley with a knockout headshot. He could have potentially gleaned some lessons from Felix Cash’s 2021 fight with Bentley, where sustained combinations led to a third-round knockout. Despite this, Janibek is confident about the upcoming fight. “I don’t want to defend my title every time I fight, I want to unify my titles. I think it’s going to be a big fight on Saturday night, and I think it’s gonna be an easy win for me,” he declared. Conversely, Butler, buoyed by his wealth of experience, remains defiant. “Don’t miss the fight on Saturday, I’m going to shock the world. He’s making a big mistake by thinking he’s already beaten me. He has a big fight on his hands on Saturday, I’m going to hurt him, mark my words.”
Image Credit: Top Rank