Sheeraz handed the belt back, and nobody comes out clean
Vacating the WBO belt avoids Janibek. It also leaves Sheeraz trying to sell ambition after skipping the first mandatory that really bit.
Hamzah Sheeraz vacated the WBO super-middleweight title after Queensberry won the purse bid for his ordered defense against Janibek Alimkhanuly. The WBO confirmed the belt was relinquished; The Ring and Bad Left Hook both tracked the fallout.
There are two truths here. Janibek being pushed into a 168-pound mandatory slot after a failed drug-test saga is ugly sanctioning-body work. Sheeraz also had a champion's belt and chose not to defend it when the matchup got dangerous. That combination gives every side an excuse and nobody much honor.
Does Sheeraz land something big enough to erase the look of this, or did he just trade a title for matchmaking shelter?
The WBO 168 belt is now a reputational crime scene: Janibek's route was messy; Sheeraz's exit was messier.