The WBC’s decision Thursday to sanction an interim super middleweight title fight between Lester Martinez and Immanuwel Aleem places Martinez one victory away from entering the title lane behind Christian Mbilli and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
The interim bout, scheduled for March 21 in San Bernardino, creates a transparent succession order throughout the WBC structure. Mbilli was elevated to full champion after Terence Crawford relinquished the belt, and his first defense is anticipated to return against Alvarez later this 12 months. The Martinez–Aleem winner will move into position behind that fight once the championship situation advances.
Interim Sanction Changes Martinez’s Position
Martinez has been waiting for movement since his majority draw against Mbilli in September. He delivered a competitive performance against the unbeaten contender but didn’t secure a rematch. Mbilli advanced into full champion status as an alternative, leaving Martinez outside the immediate title sequence.
Thursday’s sanction restores that forward motion. Martinez now controls his own entry point into the following phase of the division.
Aleem enters ranked #14 by the WBC, returning to a level he has not occupied in several years. His most notable appearance against a contender got here in May 2019, when he fought Matt Korobov to a 10-round majority draw after an initial scoring error briefly awarded Korobov the choice. The corrected result didn’t establish Aleem as a forward-moving challenger.
His results since then have reflected intermittent progress. Aleem has gone 4-2-1 following the Korobov bout, with losses to Ronald Ellis and Amilcar Vidal Jr. interrupting his advancement. His victories during that stretch got here against opposition outside the championship tier, and his name didn’t re-enter serious title discussions.
The interim sanction changes his placement contained in the WBC structure. Martinez now has a direct route into the championship sequence, while Aleem receives a chance to reenter relevance at the identical level.
Interim Belt Holder Moves Into Next Title Slot
Mbilli’s expected fight against Alvarez determines what comes next. The interim belt holder will occupy the following available challenger position once that bout is accomplished, no matter who emerges as champion.
Martinez, 30, now stands one fight away from that chance.
Click here to subscribe to our FREE newsletter
Related Boxing News:
Last Updated on 02/12/2026