The question is how interested Sheeraz and Queensberry will be in making the fight.
Janibek has never fought at super middleweight, and his immediate placement near the top of the division has angered fans following his anti-doping case. His WBO suspension was terminated July 10 after the organization determined he had satisfied the conditions imposed on him. The ruling stated that the previous suspension should not prevent him from receiving mandatory consideration.
From a competitive standpoint, however, Janibek is hard to dismiss. The former unified WBO and IBF middleweight champion made five successful WBO title defenses and brings far more championship experience than most of the contenders ranked at 168. The sanctioning body specifically cited his title record, quality of opposition and championship experience when choosing him over Bank. That makes this a dangerous matchup for Sheeraz.
Sheeraz has shown vulnerabilities as his opposition has improved. His controversial draw against Carlos Adames left questions unanswered at middleweight before he moved to 168. Austin Williams also staggered him before Sheeraz eventually stopped him. More recently, Simon Zachenhuber gave Sheeraz a difficult 12-round fight.
Janibek represents a substantial step up from Zachenhuber. He is an accomplished southpaw with power, timing, and considerably more championship experience.
There is also some irony surrounding complaints about Janibek being accelerated at 168 without first beating a ranked super middleweight. Sheeraz received favorable treatment himself after leaving middleweight rather than remaining at 160 to settle the controversy surrounding the Adames draw. He didn’t have to work his way through a long line of established 168-pound contenders before receiving his WBO opportunity.
The organization openly defended that philosophy in its Janibek ruling, citing its history of giving accomplished champions special consideration when moving between neighboring divisions.
What makes Janibek inconvenient for Sheeraz is the risk compared with the financial reward. Sheeraz has been mentioning Canelo, while Canelo has suggested he fight IBF champion Osleys Iglesias to prove himself worthy of that opportunity. Sheeraz hasn’t shown interest in taking that route.
Now the WBO has given him another dangerous option, except this one is mandatory. Queensberry can attempt to secure an exception or negotiate a step-aside agreement with Janibek if a more lucrative opportunity becomes available. The formal ruling specifically leaves room for future determinations involving unification opportunities, contractual issues and scheduling circumstances.
Paying Janibek to wait may not be cheap. He now has a mandatory position backed by a formal WBO order. If Queensberry cannot secure an exception or negotiate a step-aside agreement, Sheeraz eventually faces a basic decision: fight Janibek or give up the belt.
For boxing fans, Sheeraz against Janibek is an outstanding matchup. For Queensberry, the calculation is different. Sheeraz is a marketable 27-year-old champion chasing Canelo money, while Janibek brings enough talent and power to derail those plans without supplying a comparable payday.
The WBO has ordered the fight. The bigger question is whether Sheeraz ever gets into the ring for it.
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