Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly (14-0, 9 KOs) successfully retained his WBO world title on Saturday night at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, California, triumphing over Canadian challenger Steven Butler (32-4-1, 26 KOs) with a second-round knockout.
The opening round saw Alimkhanuly meticulously studying his opponent, tracking his movements around the ring, and identifying Butler’s tendency to overextend himself when delivering punches.
Seizing this opportunity, the 30-year-old southpaw landed a decisive counter left uppercut in the subsequent round that noticeably rattled Butler. Only a couple more precision hits from Alimkhanuly were required to knock Butler to the floor.
The onslaught didn’t stop there, as Alimkhanuly continued to land heavy blows, causing Butler to fall once more. Referee Jack Reiss permitted Butler to resume the fight, but Butler’s shaky legs indicated he was barely hanging on.
Butler was offered one last opportunity to recover, but the fighter from Zhilandy, Kazakhstan had other plans, unleashing another barrage of punches that sent Butler to the ground for the third and ultimate time at 2:35 of the second round.
Following his victory, Alimkhanuly declared, “Champions. Boxing superstars! Where are you? I am waiting. Let’s fight. I am the most avoided boxer. I am the middleweight king. Let’s go. Let’s fight. I am ready for anybody. Anytime. Anywhere.”
