Denzel Bentley requires WBO to raise him to full world champion with Zhanibek Alimkhanuly at present suspended

Denzel Bentley has referred to as on the WBO to raise him to full world championship standing.

The Londoner gained the WBO Interim middleweight title with a stoppage victory over Endry Saavedra on the O2 earlier this month.

Bentley is an Interim titlist as Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, their middleweight world champion, is serving a one-year suspension from the WBO for failing a drug take a look at.

The Briton nevertheless thinks Alimkhanuly ought to be stripped of the world title as a part of his penalty and that he ought to be the WBO’s middleweight champion now.

It is particularly irritating for Bentley who went the space with Alimkhanuly in a 2022 world title struggle.

“I don’t think Janibek has any credibility or any sort of leg to stand on to hold that title,” Bentley instructed Sky Sports activities.

“He hasn’t defended the WBO title against a mandatory opponent since he won it, which is about three or four years now and now he’s failed a PED test.”

Bentley continued: “Now I’ve won it [the Interim belt] and it’s mine. But on both our behalf, even with my opponent, in the future he [should be able to] say he’s fought for a world title, he’s a former world title challenger. He can’t say that and if he had won he could say that he’s a world champion. He can’t say that because of the decisions the WBO have made.

“The fighters within the division are all being punished for another person’s actions. They need to permit it to maneuver on and permit there to be a brand new face and make him work his method again up.”

Bentley’s team are pressing for that title upgrade but he doesn’t know what the outcome will be.

“I simply hope the WBO see what is going on on within the division and the folks which are making noise. I really feel prefer it’s additionally as much as the media and the followers to make noise as effectively. We’re not completely satisfied. We’re the followers that contribute to the game,” Bentley mentioned.

“We’re not happy that someone that has failed a drug test is representing this sport as a champion. Maybe they can see it from that side.”

Bentley’s victory over Saavedra was a formidable efficiency. It was a troublesome battle however Bentley broke by means of to use the end in spherical seven.

“It feels good. I’d never boxed at the O2, that was my first time as well,” Bentley mentioned. “Endry, he’s a tough, tough man. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves because he’s not a big name, he doesn’t shout about, he hasn’t really been seen much. But that’s an Olympian. I had limited amateur experience and I’ve just stopped an Olympian.

“He was robust bodily, he may punch as effectively. So I knew I needed to keep relaxed and bide my time and when I discovered the opening, I needed to step on it! As a result of if he had recovered it could have been a protracted evening.”

He defined: “I caught him at the end of the fourth and I thought I’ve got you and the next round he put a beating on me and I thought: ‘Alright cool, I can’t let him recover next time I hurt him.’

“I knew it was shut,” Bentley added. “I simply knew that he was getting extra intense each spherical and I believed okay I’ve received to alter one thing right here as a result of he’ll take over.

“I felt him trying to change the momentum of the fight. So when I caught him with that shot I thought I can’t let him go now.”

Extra high-level fights now beckon for Bentley. “It would be an honour to be in a unification fight. If I can get one of those, it’ll be great,” the Londoner mentioned.

“But it would also be an honour to just be upgraded officially to a world champion, even though I see myself as that now because of the circumstances. Just to be officially one, that would be great.”