Jalolov stagnates as a fighter.

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His two recent fights clearly demonstrate that it's not that he doesn't want to. How could anyone not want to? Professional boxing, especially the heavyweight division, generally garners the most attention, often headlining fight cards. Jalolov has become a household name in Uzbekistan through his amateur boxing Grand Slam and two Olympic gold medals, and he thoroughly enjoys it.
Before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, he made a promise with the president to bring home the gold medal, Uzbekistan's only gold medal that year. The president attended the final of the 2023 IBA World Championships, presented him with the medal, and expressed his hope that he would win another Olympic gold medal. The Uzbek government commissioned the construction of the Bakhodir Jalolov Boxing School. We know of stadiums named after László Papp and Robert Duran, and streets named after Terence Crawford, but how many boxing schools are actually named after boxers? The government ordered its construction after he won his first gold medal.
He has countless commercial endorsements in Uzbekistan, including real estate, Artel air conditioners and smart TVs, food delivery platforms, high-end clothing, Buka sportswear and sporting goods, and Buka Gym, promotional work for car dealerships, hotel chains, hotel mineral water logos designed in his image, restaurant promotions, home water purifiers, and fashionable sunglasses. He even had a film co-produced by Uzbekistan and Japan based on his 2021 Tokyo Olympic boxing gold medal released last year. He also opened a barbershop named after himself.
Based on his achievements during his spare time within the system, the government has rewarded him with multiple houses and cars over the years. The Uzbek government awarded the Olympic champion $200,000, a house in the center of the capital, Tashkent, and a luxury car gifted by the president. The IBA president gave him a BMW X5 when he got married at the end of 2023. And his Instagram page also features videos of him driving luxury cars. He was also invited to participate in Tyson Vs Nagannou.Fight was promoted by Saudi Arabia, which brought many of boxing's biggest names to the event for marketing purposes. I don't think any boxer who has achieved great success wouldn't want to win a professional belt, compete at the highest levels, earn big money, and be etched in world boxing history. Jalolov clearly enjoys the treatment he's received in Uzbekistan, but his professional career remains slow.
Usyk vs. Fury 1 was postponed from February to May due to Fury's injury. Jalolov was originally scheduled to fight but withdrew due to Olympic considerations. It's not that he doesn't have a chance, but he simply doesn't want to. He avoids fighting quality opponents and prefers to fight directly with the belt holders.
At a ceremony after the Olympics last year, he told the president and other medalists his next goal was to win four professional belts. But he's still fighting the can. In his last two fights, boxers ranked outside the top 100 were able to bully him in the ring. After the October 6th fight, he posted a video detailing his amateur achievements, making it clear he's not unwilling to fight, but rather clearly aware of his professional development.

 

He needs a decent trainer too.

 

I'm not going to quote your whole post @IshidaRyuken, but from the gist of it, it sounds like Jalolov is already a hero at home, doesn't need any money, or really anything from the pro game.

It actually sounds like it might be a risk to his image if he loses to someone outside of the top 30, which definitely looks possible. I can see why he would only want fights against a belt holder because then it's a loss against the best.

 

I started following him after the 2024 Paris Olympics and collected all the news I could. When he won the Asian Championships and the World Championship in amateur boxing, the Uzbek government rewarded him with prizes such as a two-bedroom house and a car. In 2021, he fulfilled his promise to the president and won his only Olympic gold medal that year. Uzbekistan rewards Olympic gold medalists with $200,000, a luxury car given by the government as a gift from the president, and an apartment in the center of Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. Jalolov won two gold medals, so he received two such rewards. At the end of 2023, his wedding was attended by well-known figures in the Uzbek entertainment industry in addition to his teammates in the system. The chairman of the IBA gave him a BMW X5. Last year's Olympic boxing gold medalist will receive a $100,000 IBA award, and he won $30,000 as the winner of the 2022 IBA World Championship in Saudi Arabia. Combined with his numerous domestic endorsements, the fact that the president is his biggest fan, the fact that there's a national boxing school named after him, and an Uzbek-Japanese co-production based on his story—he's enjoying all of this immensely. He's already a huge star and national hero in Uzbekistan, and he clearly relishes it.

So, if he truly has the confidence and skill, why doesn't he focus solely on professional boxing instead of being so selective in his opponent choices? Especially since he attended the promotional event for the Fury vs. Nagannou fight. With so many professional boxing legends, who wouldn't want to be part of their ranks? The facts from the last two fights are clear. The link in my post above shows his speech before the president, where he announced his next goal of winning four professional boxing belts.
News about Jalolov is also easy to find; just Google "джалолов" and check the latest news.

 

Thank you! I did as you suggested, googled "джалолов".

Russian trainer Gennady Mashianov seems to think that the reason for his underwhelming performances in the pros so far are mental, stem from the immense pressure he feels, being a national hero and all that.

Though It sounds more like he can't handle the idea of being mediocre like the previous medalists Yoka, Joyce, Hrgovic after being the king in the amateurs for so long. He's hoping and expecting to be handed out a shot at Usyk.

Based on what he's shown so far, he's the exact type Usyk would eat for breakfast. I suppose It wouldn't be a bad scalp for his resume.

 

Yeah that is my read of it as well, he is a national hero and the best in the world atm. But there is a decent chance that he could lose to someone like Vianello which would destroy that reputation.

 

Or, in short:
1) He's already incredibly famous amongst the people he might reasonably care about - his own.
2) He's made a decent amount of money (and assets) from the amateurs

And on #2 - because he lives in a country that isn't particularly developed, that amount of money goes a whole lot further than it would in the West.

Dare I say, the redux of your points above might answer your own question, somewhat?

He's not going to get any more famous at home and doesn't necessarily need the money the pro's could provide (IF he makes it).

He can go to pro fights as a fan even if he has little intention of taking a serious run the pro's, surely?

And indeed, if there was any guarantee he'd make it (which there isn't) then you'd have a point... Equally, why would a man with all the fame he could ever want and all the money he needs to live a great life want to go and risk his health and his godlike status at home against a much higher calibre of opponents?

Not everyone is mentally cut out to accept that kind of risk/reward setup - especially when they don't need to.

Not every boxer is a warrior who wants to take every possible test and every beating necessary to become the absolute best they could possibly be...
In truth, does anyone even think that describes a majority of pro boxers?


He's a great amateur, but I can see plenty of reasons he might not want to really go for it as a pro... And I don't see any evidence that the opportunity isn't there - it seems much more likely that he doesn't really want it.

 

Idk - I think it'd be a waste of one of the few fights Usyk has left... A guy who has no serious pro wins and would realistically probably not build enough of a resume afterwards to be relevant.

It'd be less of a scalp than Solis was for Vitali, for example... And I think that's significant when you consider Vitali didn't have anywhere near the career high points that Usyk does AND that Solis was less irrelevant in the pro's than Jalolov is at the moment?

 

Precisely - if he believed he was a championship level fighter at pro level, he wouldn't be messing around with regional level fighters (and I'm being kind), he'd be working up the ladder.

He has a lot to lose - is the risk/reward there for him?

 

I don’t disagree. We all want the Parker fight next. But after that, I feel like his last fight will be a showcase fight with lesser significance. It could be against his amateur nemesis Beterbiev, could be Wilder or it could be against some clown from UFC.

So Jalolov may not be the worst case scenario for his farewell bout when you think about it. And remember that Lomachenko (a fellow 2 time gold medalist) got a title shot in his 2nd fight, so Bakh getting a shot isn’t out of the question.

 

I read that too fast and saw "clown Wilder"

If his last fight isn't a serious one, I guess Jalolov is as meaningless as a shot Wilder, but equally it's still a waste - and I have a hunch money will come into it, which Jalolov won't bring much of.

 

He had a lot of the tools but didn't have the mindset. You can't make these guys who are gods in their home countries hungry for professional success. They either are or they aren't. Tough getting out of bed to run at 5am when you already have your Uzbeki harem.

 

If he truly possesses the skill to defeat opponents ranked in the top ten of the Heavyweight division, his career would have progressed much faster than he's been so selective now, especially considering his age. He turned 30 last year, and the Olympics ended in early August. He wasn't completely professional, but rather had amassed a 14-win, 14-KO record. Therefore, he could have easily scheduled a fight early. His first fight after retiring from amateur boxing was on February 6, 2025. I spent every day checking the latest news. It felt incredibly slow, considering both he and his opponent were at the venue and participated in the pre-fight weigh-in. The doctor canceled the fight because he had a herpes sore on his mouth, and he was furious. His fight on April 6, 2025, was so poor that I thought it couldn't get any worse until October 6. During the fight on July 26, his opponent was injured and couldn't compete, but he could have chosen a temporary opponent, especially considering when his opponent was injured and withdrew so late. However, he didn't fight. His most recent fight further demonstrated his flaws: stamina, interior, timing, Courage... He has none of it, so boxers ranked outside the top 100 can easily bully him in the ring, and these opponents should be as easy as cutting melons and vegetables for a rookie. He enjoys everything he has in Uzbekistan. If he really has outstanding strength, why wouldn't he start fighting in professional boxing early and win a belt? In an interview, he said that what he wants most is the WBC belt. He is very satisfied with everything he has achieved in Uzbekistan, and winning a belt in professional boxing will only bring more global fame and money, and the influence is completely on a different level. So it is obvious that he knows that he can't, and he cannot bear the consequences.

 

I like your description I mean he doesn't have that kind of strength in professional boxing so he's not keen on it. If he had the strength to fight Usyk, he would definitely fight actively. The treatment and status in Uzbekistan are unmatched, but reaching the top of professional boxing is another level of status, so he is hesitant and picky. I think we all agree on this point.