Top Rank Presents Middleweight Title Unification Showdown: Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Vincenzo Gualtieri Saturday, October 14, 10:30 p.m. ET/ 7:30 p.m. PT Live on ESPN
The reigning WBO champion Janibek Alimkhanuly will square off against the undefeated IBF titleholder Vincenzo Gualtieri. This showdown is marked for Saturday, October 14th, and will unfold at the Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg, Texas.
On the undercard, Keyshawn Davis, the U.S. Olympic silver medal winner, is set to lock horns with Philly’s own Nahir Albright in the lightweight division.
Promotional duties for this high-stakes fight night fall to Top Rank, in collaboration with AGON Sports & Events. Both the Alimkhanuly-Gualtieri and Davis-Albright bouts will air live on ESPN platforms, kicking off at 10:30 p.m. ET and 7:30 p.m. PT.
Get your wallets ready; ticket sales start on Wednesday, September 6, at 2 p.m. Central Time, exclusively via ETix, with prices opening at $35.
Alimkhanuly boasts an unbeaten record of 14-0, with 9 KOs, and hails from Zhilandy, Kazakhstan. His rapid rise to stardom included KO victories over ex-champs Rob Brant and Hassan N’Dam. After clinching the WBO interim middleweight title last spring by knocking out Danny Dignum, he got promoted to full champion status due to Demetrius Andrade’s title vacating. He has defended his belt successfully against foes like Denzel Bentley and Steven Butler.
Gualtieri, with a record of 21-0-1 and 7 KOs, turned professional in October 2015. He kept a clean slate until he battled to a draw with German pugilist Thomas Piccirillo in 2020. Gualtieri seized his first regional title by defeating Billi Facundo Godoy and went on to clinch the vacant IBF world title by unanimously outscoring Esquiva Falcao from Brazil.
Davis is on a fast track up the lightweight ranks. After starting his pro career 3-0, he bagged Olympic silver in Tokyo. He subsequently inked a long-term deal with Top Rank and added six more victories to his record, featuring jaw-dropping KOs against Esteban Sanchez and Omar Tienda. His latest win came via a ninth-round TKO against Anthony Yigit.
Albright, holding a record of 16-2 with 7 KOs, didn’t let a majority decision loss in his 2016 pro debut throw him off course. He bounced back like a champ, racking up 14 straight victories and capturing his first regional title against Jeremy Hill. Even after a recent loss to Jamaine Ortiz, Albright returned to form, dealing Brazilian Estivan Falcao his first-ever defeat and pulling off an upset victory over U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas.
Richard Torrez Jr., the U.S. Olympic Silver medalist with a record of 6-0 and all 6 wins by knockout, is gearing up to face Don Haynesworth (17-8-1, 15 KOs) in a six-round heavyweight clash. Torrez is eyeing his third opening-round knockout of the year, having already dispatched James Bryant and Willie Jake Jr. within the first round.
Giovanni Marquez (6-0, 4 KOs), the son of former world champion Raul Marquez, is stepping up to defend his flawless record in a six-rounder. Hailing from Houston, he’s fresh off a second-round TKO victory over Nicky Vitone.
On deck, Duke Ragan, another U.S. Olympic Silver medalist boasting an 8-0 record with one knockout, is set to launch his 2023 campaign. He’ll be squaring up against Jose Perez (11-1-2, 5 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight battle. The Cincinnati native last appeared in the ring in October, successfully holding his own against Puerto Rican fighter Luis Lebron at Madison Square Garden’s Theater.
Guido Vianello, the 2016 Italian Olympian with a 10-1-1 record and 9 KOs, is preparing for an eight-round heavyweight face-off against Curtis Harper (14-9, 9 KOs) of Florida. Vianello is making a comeback after a recent loss that tarnished his unbeaten record; Jonnie Rice’s right hook resulted in a cut above Vianello’s left eye, causing the referee to stop the fight in the seventh round. Interestingly, Vianello was ahead on all scorecards at the time of the stoppage.
Kelvin Davis (9-0, 6 KOs), the older of the Davis fighting brothers from Norfolk, is on the roster for an eight-round junior welterweight matchup. He’s making his return after a fourth-round knockout win over Derrick Whitley Jr. this past summer.
Last but not least, Alan “Kid Kansas” Garcia (9-0, 8 KOs), an undefeated lightweight, is scheduled for a six-round contest, although his opponent is still to be determined.
Fight Night Schedule: Alimkhanuly vs. Gualtieri (All Times ET)
Date: Sat., Oct 14
- 10:30 p.m.: Main Event – Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Vincenzo Gualtieri for the IBF and WBO Middleweight Titles (Live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+)
- Co-Feature: Keyshawn Davis vs. Nahir Albright
- 5:55 p.m.: Undercard Showdowns, including Richard Torrez Jr. vs. Tyrrell Anthony Herndon, plus much more! (Live on ESPN+)
Entire Card
starting at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT:
Janibek Alimkhanuly (159.3 lbs.) vs. Vincenzo Gualtieri (159.5 lbs.)
For the WBO/IBF Middleweight World Titles
Duration: 12 Rounds
Keyshawn Davis (135 lbs.) vs. Nahir Albright (134.9 lbs.)
Competing for USBA/WBO International/WBC USA Lightweight Titles
Duration: 10 Rounds
Tuning in earlier? ESPN+ broadcast kicks off at 5:55 p.m. ET/2:55 p.m. PT:
Richard Torrez Jr. (233.1 lbs.) vs. Tyrell Anthony Herndon (234.8 lbs.)
Division: Heavyweight
Duration: 6 Rounds
Guido Vianello (241.3 lbs.) vs. Curtis Harper (275.5 lbs.)
Division: Heavyweight
Duration: 8 Rounds
Giovanni Marquez (141.3 lbs.) vs. Donte Strayhorn (140.2 lbs.)
Division: Junior Welterweight
Duration: 6 Rounds
Duke Ragan (125.3 lbs.) vs. Jose Perez (126.4 lbs.)
Division: Featherweight
Duration: 8 Rounds
Kelvin Davis (142 lbs.) vs. Narciso Carmona (142.6 lbs.)
Division: Junior Welterweight
Duration: 8 Rounds
Alan Garcia (137.8 lbs.) vs. Nelson Hampton (137.3 lbs.)
Division: Junior Welterweight
Duration: 6 Rounds
Humberto Galindo (131.7 lbs.) vs. Oscar Bravo (130.8 lbs.)
Division: Junior Lightweight
Duration: 8 Rounds
Jakhongir Zokirov (263.5 lbs.) vs. Guillermo Del Rio (217.1 lbs.)
Division: Heavyweight
Duration: 4 Rounds