The timing seemed perfect for a change.
Murodjon Akhmadaliev concluded his 2023 campaign with the belief that he was next in line for the undisputed crown. An eighth-round knockout of Kevin Gonzalez in their WBa title eliminator on December 16 was supposed to guarantee that opportunity. Getting involved in that fight last December was supposed to mean he could hit the ground running in 2024.
All that has come instead is the waiting game.
“My hands are itching to get back in the ring,” Akhmadaliev told The Ring as translated by Alik Frolov. “Whoever my next opponent will be, all we hope is that it’s for the world title.”
The longtime hope for Akhmadaliev (12-1, 7 KOs) is that Naoya Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) was that opponent. It makes sense; Inoue—No. 2 pound-for-pound—holds the Ring 122-pound championship and all four major titles with it.
For now, rumors continue that Inoue will next face IBF mandatory Sam Goodman (19-0, 8 KOs) on Christmas Eve in Tokyo.
Akhmadaliev—No. 2 at 122 by The Ring—is next in line for the WBA belt he previously held for more than three years. The 2016 Olympic silver medalist was the unified WBA/IBF titlist until his reign ended against Marlon Tapales (39-4, 20 KOs) last April in San Antonio.
Tapales was a mandatory challenger at the time, one of three that Akhmadaliev had to face in a two-year period. The only voluntary defense he was afforded came by accident. He would face Ronny Rios in November 2021, only for Rios to test positive for Covid.
Akhmadaliev, promoted by Matchroom and World of Boxing, and managed by Vadim Kornilov, instead faced and defeated late sub Jose Velasquez.
Rios eventually made his way into the title picture as the WBA mandatory. This was followed by Tapales, who faced Akhmadaliev as the IBF mandatory.
Inoue has since faced Tapales for the undisputed crown. Next up was former two-division titlist Luis Nery (35-2, 27 KOs) as the WBC mandatory in May. According to the sanctioning body rotation, the WBA should be back in front, which would leave Akhmadaliev next in line.
In fact, the WBA even ordered the fight earlier this year following Inoue’s knockout win over Nery. The fight never materialized as Inoue was instead allowed to face former titleholder TJ Doheny (26-5, 20 KOs) in a voluntary defense.
“For this guy, it’s different,” Akhmadaliev insisted of the different rules applied to Inoue’s reign. “I don’t know if he’s scared, if it’s politics or whatever. But I don’t care. The only fight at 122 that makes sense is against me. So if Inoue doesn’t want to fight me, then vacate the title and stop calling my name.
“I will not back down. We will push to the end to enforce the rules. I don’t want to have to settle for the interim title. We want to fight Naoya Inoue for the real title. If he has a headache or whatever other excuse, then he could be the interim champion. You can call him the holiday champion or whatever it is (Champion in Recess).”
WBA representatives are yet to comment on the matter.
Goodman—No. 3 at 122 by The Ring—has been the IBF mandatory since a win over Ra’eese Aleem last June. To his credit, he has remained active with four busy fights since earning that designation.
All came against pedestrian opposition, however, and also saw Goodman take a knee after boldly calling out Inoue earlier this spring. An injury was cited as the reason he had to wait until December, although Inoue’s team were good at accommodating the request.
That should have opened a path for Akhmadaliev, who had to bail on a planned July bout when the WBA ordered his fight against Inoue. Instead, it was just another roadblock in a career filled with starts and stops.
“In the past there were injuries and illnesses that slowed us down. This time the only holdout is Inoue,” Amkhadaliev noted. “We were supposed to be back in the ring in mid-July. Then the obligatory was ordered and that he was supposed to fight me in September. So I had to withdraw from that battle to stay in line to honor my mandated position. The priority was to challenge for the world title.
“The winner of Inoue-Tapales was supposed to fight me next. So, he chose the WBC mandatory first (Luis Nery). Then he chose Doheny. Now it sounds like he’s choosing someone else. At this point it doesn’t make sense.”
