The opponent will be announced next week, and he is set to fight in November, according to this video posted on Agit Kabayel’s YouTube channel. Turn on the English-translated audio track; the translation is clearly flawed, but it’s genuinely impressive. This content is protected Frank Warren keeps hammering home the point that Kabayel’s opponent is a top 10 opponent. I can’t wait to hear about his opponent next week. I’m hoping it’s an actual good opponent, not Hysa, for the love of God.
Will be Fury AJ has ducked citing they signed to fight in the UK which is tosh because fighters always follow the money and the money men want that fight in the US. Easy duck. Agit will step in. Usyk not ready to fight Fury in 2 months needs a roid cycle.
This guy has made a big name for himself off the back of Makhmudov who is terrible, Sanchez who could barely move, and a very old Zhang who was blowing a gasket after two rounds. Kabayel is a good boxer but he is not that good.
Kabayel is very good, very durable and most importantly he is a smart fighter. Always comes with a good gameplan which is executed well. He is fairly static...but so are 95% of heavies historically. Old Fury will have problems with him with his aging legs.
Kabayel made his opponents look substandard. Hrgovic and Parker had razor-thin decisions with Zhang; if they won, they won by a point or two. The simple fact is that those fights were 12-rounders, and when Zhang was gassed in the later rounds, neither fighter could put a dent in him. Kabayel destroyed Zhang in the sixth. Sanchez has always been a good fighter with flaws. Makhmudov was impressive because Kabayel beat him cleanly in three rounds. Chisora was beaten by a green Kabayel, and Chisora is always a pretty good win. Kynba has also proven to be a tricky guy to fight because of his reach and good feet.
He is especially smart in picking opponents (or not picking opponents and wait). I think there was some chatter around the next opponent having disrespect him so I guess it’s Hysa. Fury would be amazing and a better payday but I don’t see him risking his belt already in the first fight.
Hope knyba gets a few good fights. I feel like with him it is especially obvious that styles make fights and he probably won't ever be the a side in a big fight, so will get bad style matchups. I never understood one bit why they put ruiz in with him. Must have been a terrible blunder. Or the overestimated ruiz' ability to get to the inside. Anyway he was always gonna look worse than kabayel in that fight... I'd give knyba a chance against hrgovic based on footspeed and activity but almost no chance against Itauma. Rock paper scissors. So he won't get hrgovic ever... As to kabayel - fury would be an awesome matchup. I would have him as a clear favorite against aging fury who looked abysmal in his previous fights. Having such a fight would be a gift to kabayel as beating such big names is what makes stars. So I don't know why fury would do it. Well he knows him from sparring. Actually kabayel said in an earlier interview that he wouldn't like to Fight fury since he has 'done so much for his career'.
The WBC top seven contenders are: #1 Tyson Fury #2 Anthony Joshua #3 Frank Sanchez (who may be fighting Hrgovic/already lost to Kabayel) #4 Deontay Wilder #5 Moses Itauma (who just got knocked out by Hrgovic) #6 Efe Ajagba #7 Joseph Parker So, the leading candidates for November are Fury, Joshua, Wilder, Ajagba, and Parker, as wild as that may sound. Wilder and Fury have been mentioned by Usyk, but it appears Usyk doesn't want to fight until next year, in March (since he's the one fight a year guy). In truth, any of them could fight Kabayel and be ready to fight again in March. And Sanchez may want revenge, not to mention Hrgovic wants to pay Frank a step-aside.
Safe to say it won't be AJ, Fury or Wilder, nor Itauma or Sanchez. That leaves Ajagba (more likely) or Parker (unlikely, as he'd probably need a tune up first) or someone else entirely. I'd be leaning towards them picking a fill in sort of fight until he can unify against Hrgovic or Dubios.
Didn't Ajagba sign with Zuffa? Fury would probably be the easiest to make. And he's the #1 contender, so you get that out of the way. Joshua has never fought for or won a WBC belt. So that would be interesting, too. Wilder would also take it. He doesn't want to sit around until next March. He's older than all of them.
Maybe it is Parker, and that is why he is so quiet. I mean, he believes in himself like very few of these guys.