Erislandy Lara is rarely one to invite controversy, but the collapse of his planned three-belt unification fight has pushed the veteran champion into unusually blunt territory. Scheduled to face IBF and WBO titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly this Saturday in San Antonio, Lara instead finds himself reacting to the drug-testing scandal that pulled the unbeaten Kazakh out of the main event.
Alimkhanuly returned an adverse finding for accelerated levels of meldonium, prompting his withdrawal as he seeks testing of his “B” sample and attempts to clear his name. Lara, however, made it clear he has no sympathy for his would-be opponent. “He should be punished for cheating,” the 42-year-old WBA middleweight champion said. “He tested dirty… he absolutely should be punished.”
Rather than lose his slot on the card, Lara will now defend his title against Venezuelan contender Johan Gonzalez, who had already been secured as a standby opponent. For Lara, the switch at least ensures he can resume a career that has seen just two fights since 2019 - both knockout wins in 2024, including a dominant stoppage of Danny Garcia in September.
The Cuban southpaw insists he has already put the abandoned unification behind him. “I’m just focused on fighting, no matter who the opponent is,” Lara said. “I’m not even gonna mention that guy’s name, because he doesn’t deserve it.” Lara-Gonzalez will feature on a four-fight PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view, topped by Isaac Cruz defending his WBC junior welterweight belt against Lamont Roach Jr.
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Image Credit: ESPN