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Erislandy Lara Drops Johan González Twice to Retain WBA Middleweight Title

The veteran champion faced a late substitute after reports of Janibek Alimkhanuly’s positive doping result scuttled their planned unification.

Overview

  • Lara defeated González by unanimous decision with scorecards of 118-108, 120-106, and 119-107.
  • The WBA title bout featured two knockdowns scored by Lara during a controlled performance.
  • The fight took place on the main card of the PBC–Amazon Prime event headlined by Lamont Roach Jr. and Isaac Cruz.
  • González stepped in on short notice when Alimkhanuly was reportedly flagged for a banned substance, leaving the Kazakh’s near-term status uncertain.
  • After a 14-month layoff, Lara remains one of boxing’s oldest active champions, and speculation about future opponents includes unconfirmed talk of Terence Crawford testing 160 pounds.