Let's be real about Agit Kabayel

None of that has any bearing whatsoever on him still being the #1 HW in the world. That's an objective fact. He's still ranked the champ by The Ring, as the top HW, and he's still ranked P4P#2.

Dubois is ranked #1 and Belly #3 behind Kabayel

This content is protected

Belly's fighting Wach tonight who turns 47 in December and is 2-8 in his last 10 fights

And there's talk of Kabayel potentially defending his title against Wlad who is 50 y/o and hasn't fought in over 9 years

Again, the oldest fighter on Usyk's resume at any level was 38 and the oldest world class one was 36 or just turned 37 if you count Rico and unless Belly or Kabayel lose those fights (assuming the Kabayel does end up facing Wlad) it won't affect their ranking either

You see those 3 losses in the respective last 5 fights for Dubois and Belly? Usyk inflicted them on them and we can't undo what he's achieved and his ranking and rightful claim to the throne. In fact, he's literally sitting atop of that throne as we speak and there's zero argument to say that any of champions or ranked HWs are more accomplished than him or worthy of sitting atop of that throne as of now

After his next fight, win or lose because win very likely means retirement, then and only then can one of the others stake a claim to his throne. Until then he's still the King of the division and, as said, whether he's still the best HW in the world at almost 40 y/o is a different question

#2 Kabayel was getting lit up by a Euro level early doors in his previous fight but that doesn't undo him beating Big Bang, Sanchez, Mak and Chisora and if he fought Wlad's grandpa's ancient ghost next it wouldn't either

There are only 2 soft touches on Usyk's resume since moving up to the world level and zero throughout his reigns at either CW and HW sans Rico despite Usyk being almost 40 and he was 39 for Rico so literally zero during his prime and if fights The Dosser next in his farewell fight that would still be a tougher touch and a more risky one due to The Dosser's power and Usyk also being old too than the zero threat soft touches many of Usyk's fellow greats fought in their primes who were so overmatched they didn't even have a puncher's chance but fighting those soft touches didn't undo what they'd done or affect their ranking

Of course it was to stack the deck. Usyk has fought all over the world and sold out everywhere he's fought. Usyk vs Dubois II sold 60,000 tickets within 24 hours and there was 90,000 in attendance on the night.

Dubois' next fight vs fellow Brit Fabio was in front of 18,000 in an indoor arena

Kabayel in his big homecoming fight vs Knyba in Germany sold 12,000-13,000 tickets, Usyk sold at least 35,000 in Poland for Dubois I

They've been trying to get Usyk beat for a long and he's thwarted them each and everytime. They were trying to get him beat by AJ, Belly and Dubois

Huh? You think fighting in your opponent's backyard at 40 y/o when way past your best is the same as doing so at 29-35 y/o, let alone when they're way bigger and younger than you and in the midst of their prime? Usyk has been defying the odds and father time for long enough as it is:

If you keep fighting in your opponent's backyard eventually you're going to lose via hook or crook.

If you keep fighting KO artists and punchers eventually you're going to get KTFO

If you keep fighting giants and opponents much naturally bigger than you you're going to come unstuck at some point

And if you keep fighting fighters younger or much younger than you eventually, especially in your late 30s-early 40s, you're going to lose

Usyk has been doing all that simultaneously or most of it when not all at HW when no other current champ or P4P ranked fighter has even come clos to doing the same in their prime.

As said, Usyk is just expected to continue to keep doing things at 38-40 y/o when long past his prime, to keep putting himself at great disadvantage and numerous ones simultaneously, which no other fighter is expected to do in their prime, let alone routinely whilst giving away numerous advantages simultaneously

We have many fighters ranked in the P4P top 10 now who never have, wouldn't even contemplate doing so, or have expressed extreme reluctance to even give away just one of those advantages individually

This content is protected

 

As of now it is and given his age and accomplishments it should be but anything can still happen. He could retire after his next fight and then make a comeback in the future to challenge for the HW title again

 

Yes that too. I'm still waiting for someone to name me one fighter in the entire history of the sport who has gone undefeated in 17 years whilst fighting at the elite level for the vast majority of that time

Never been knocked out in over 370 fights amateur and pro

Never been dropped as a pro or even badly hurt

Never been dropped by a headshot amateur or pro with the only possible exception being once which I've recently read was from a body shot

Despite running a gauntlet of KO artists and legit bangers, much or way bigger than them at HW and SHW in the WSB

Winning all their medals at major championships on the road as an amateur and all their world titles as a pro in their opponent's backyards sans one which was on the road

Winning all their fights via pure skill and clean boxing with zero use of dirty tactics and deck-stacking

And whilst fighting until 39 y/o and at the elite level until 38 y/o

You can subtract a bunch of those and they still going to really struggle

Indeed. King Usyk

This content is protected