WBC champion announces move in weight.
Fans of boxing often look at today’s middleweight division and sigh wistfully as they think back to what it once was.
A great deal of people have noted that since Canelo Álvarez has moved up and Gennady Golovkin has retired, the 160-pound class has been lacking the things it used to have.
Depth? Star power? Competitive matchmaking?
Perhaps all of the above.
When the division was ruled by the two-headed monster that was Golovkin and Álvarez, there was a state of order. Even after two fights between them, there was no universal agreement as to who the true king was, and that was okay.
Historically, the middleweight division has always been one of boxing’s flagship classes. Nowadays, though, it is considered one of the much more shallow divisions in the sport.
However, the middleweight division saw a beacon of hope in Janibek Alimkhanuly, the Kazakh crusher who brought to mind countryman Golovkin in a number of ways.
Janibek would win the WBO and IBF titles during his wake of destruction, convincing most that–like cruiserweight Jai Opetaia–despite being in a stagnant division, he was the very best nonetheless.
Then a unification with WBA champion Erislandy Lara was cancelled after Janibek tested positive for meldonium, resulting in a one-year ban and being stripped by the IBF.
WBC champion Carlos Adames had been out of the ring since a controversial draw with Hamzah Sheeraz, but on Saturday, he scored a dominant victory over Austin Williams in his third title defence.
While a fight with Lara was the preferred next fight for many, it would appear that Adames would rather explore another weight class.
Adames has now stated his intention to move up to super-middleweight, where a number of opponents would make for great options.
It is without question that fans would watch Adames face off with the likes of Christian Mbilli, Lester Martínez, or Hamzah Sheeraz for a second time.
Either way, if we think of the middleweight division as the night sky, one of its few stars just went out.
Tell 168 that the Bronco Horse has arrived. There were many names that ran from 160 and moved up in weight, but now I’m going to catch up to them. 🐎
— Carlos Adames (@BroncoAdames) March 22, 2026
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