The Boxing Truth®: Erislandy Lara

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

UPDATE: Lara Now To Defend WBA World Middleweight Championship Against Gonzalez

In a follow-up to a previous story we have been following here on The Boxing Truth®, it has been announced per Ring Magazine that WBA World Middleweight champion Erislandy Lara will now defend his title against Johan Gonzalez. As previously reported here on the website, Lara was to face unbeaten unified WBO/IBF World Middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly in a unification bout, but Alimkhanuly ha been pulled from the fight due to testing positive for a banned substance. As of this writing, it remains unclear as to Alimkhanuly’s status with regard to both the WBO and IBF as each respective organization’s current World Middleweight champion.

Lara, (31-3-3, with 19 Knockouts) will now defend his title against Gonzalez, (36-4, with 34 Knockouts) who is stepping in in a little less than four days notice to challenge Lara, and who is not currently rated in the top ten in the World Boxing Association’s Middleweight ratings. Lara vs. Gonzalez will take place on the undercard of the Isaac Cruz-Lamont Roach bout that will be broadcast on Prime Video pay-per-view on Saturday, December 6th in San Antonio, TX. We will continue to update readers on developments as they become available. Stay tuned.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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Tuesday, December 2, 2025

BREAKING: WBO Statement Regarding Janibek Alimkhanuly

The World Boxing Organization (WBO) has released an official statement through its website and social media channels following it's World Middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly testing positive for a banned substance ahead of his scheduled unification bout with WBA World Middleweight champion Erislandy Lara on the undercard of the Isaac Cruz-Lamont Roach pay-per-view card scheduled for Saturday night in San Antonio, TX. As of this writing, the International Boxing Federation (IBF), whose World Middleweight championship Janibek Alimkhanuly also holds, has not released a statement regarding the situation. The WBO’s official statement can be read below.

Credit: WBO

As of this writing, the scheduled bout where the WBO, IBF, and WBA World Middleweight championships would be on the line, remains on as scheduled. We will keep readers updated on developments as they become available. Stay tuned.

“And That's The Boxing Truth."