That complaint cannot conceal the competitive danger involved. Janibek is a former unified middleweight champion and the most accomplished available contender in the WBO’s top 15. Canelo is occupied with Christian Mbilli, while Diego Pacheco is pursuing another title. The WBO had few credible alternatives.
The speed of Janibek’s return still gives Sheeraz a legitimate complaint. His suspension was terminated on July 10, and he was installed as mandatory little more than a month later, allowing him to move above active super middleweights without first competing in the division. That decision favored proven championship credentials over activity at 168. Sheeraz can question that policy without claiming Janibek was still suspended when the order was issued.
Sheeraz Received A Comfortable Route
Sheeraz was given a high super middleweight ranking after his controversial draw against WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames. His first three opponents at 168 were Edgar Berlanga, Alem Begic, and Simon Zachenhuber.
Berlanga had been heavily promoted without beating a leading super middleweight. He lost when he finally faced Canelo, returned against limited opposition, and was then stopped by Sheeraz. Begic was largely unknown when he fought for the vacant WBO title. Zachenhuber had little international profile before serving as the opponent for Sheeraz’s first defense. Neither had accomplished anything comparable to Janibek.
Placed alongside those three opponents, the former unified middleweight champion looks like gold. Moving up without a previous appearance at 168 is unusual, but it does not make Begic or Zachenhuber more qualified.
This run at super middleweight has been carefully managed. The Janibek order is the first time Sheeraz has been required to face someone with an established championship record and a realistic chance of beating him.
The styles explain some of the reluctance. Sheeraz has used his height, long jab, and right hand to control less sophisticated opponents from a distance. Janibek is a southpaw with sharper footwork, educated counters, and the experience to attack from angles Begic and Zachenhuber could not create. This is not merely a larger name. It is a considerable increase in tactical difficulty.
The Belt Comes With Responsibilities
Despite his criticism, Sheeraz has stopped short of refusing the defense. He told IFL TV that “if this is the fight, this is the fight,” while leaving the decision to his team. He also said they would examine how to make it most beneficial for him.
However, his repeated criticism makes it clear that Janibek is not the opponent Sheeraz and Queensberry wanted next. They now must decide how much they value the WBO title.
Negotiations also place Queensberry in a difficult promotional position. Allowing the defense to reach a purse bid could give another promoter control of the venue, broadcast arrangements, and conditions surrounding one of its most valuable fighters. Vacating would preserve matchmaking control but remove the championship leverage Sheeraz hopes to carry into negotiations with Canelo.
A similar issue can be seen in Teofimo Lopez’s reaction to inheriting Jack Catterall as his WBA welterweight mandatory. Teofimo wants Ryan Garcia or Conor Benn rather than a dangerous challenger carrying less commercial value. The two mandatories present the same basic inconvenience. Janibek and Catterall can defeat the champions, but neither supplies the enormous payday needed to make that danger appealing.
A decisive Janibek win could remove Sheeraz from the Canelo sweepstakes. Canelo is 36 and approaching the end of his career. If his October 31 fight with Mbilli goes badly, that opportunity may disappear before Sheeraz can rebuild from a damaging loss.
Holding the WBO belt does not guarantee Sheeraz a Canelo fight, but it supplies a unification storyline and separates him from Pacheco and other contenders pursuing the same opportunity.
That is not a reason for the organization to protect him. If boxing is going to operate as a sport instead of a popularity contest, champions must face qualified mandatories rather than selecting opponents entirely by commercial value.
The choice is simple: defend the title or surrender it. Sheeraz should not receive the championship status needed to pursue Canelo without accepting the difficult defense attached to that status.
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