Who poses the biggest THREAT to Usyk right now?

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by VOXDEI, Jul 19, 2025.


Who stands the best chance of causing an upset?

  1. Kabayel

    32 vote(s)
    44.4%
  2. Fury

    14 vote(s)
    19.4%
  3. Parker

    18 vote(s)
    25.0%
  4. Okolie

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  5. Itauma

    5 vote(s)
    6.9%
  6. Hrgovic

    1 vote(s)
    1.4%
  7. Bakole

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  8. Someone else

    2 vote(s)
    2.8%
  1. VOXDEI

    VOXDEI Heavyweight only weight Full Member

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    Definitely agree with this assessment of Parker and you may be right about Fury as well who is clearly on a faster decline than Usyk and so you would only expect the margin of defeat to get wider...
     
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  2. VOXDEI

    VOXDEI Heavyweight only weight Full Member

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    Let's goooo champ
     
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  3. BlackDog

    BlackDog Active Member Full Member

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    Parker deserve shots. He dont win but probably fight go for distance.
    But I dk if Usyk really will think about choose him.
    If Usyk really got 1 more fight he probably choose biggest name, cash and Parker is not soo much superstar.Hope Im wrong.

    And Usyk is in really really great shape. It will be hard to end this journey for him a special when he still will be favorite with all this dudes around him. He got plenty of cash, he done anything possible in best way. He should fight Joseph and retire as one of the best boxer ever!!!
     
  4. MrFoFody

    MrFoFody Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Kabayel:
    -brutal body attack
    -great workrate
    -very good chin
    - good footwork
    -cuts off the ring well
    -young and hungry

    The only thing he needs to work on is his weight as he was a bit pudgy vs Zhang
     
  5. The Cryptkeeper

    The Cryptkeeper Boxing Addict Full Member

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    May 9, 2023
    Opetaia with another 10kg on his frame at HW would be an interesting proposition.

    But right now, nobody. Kabayel gives Usyk a fight but eventually loses.
     
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  6. LoniBana

    LoniBana Member Full Member

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    Feb 18, 2025
    I really don't understand the glazing over Kabayel and how he can be put in there as a legitimate live gun against Usyk.

    His resume stands at two overhyped prospects (one who was literally fighting on one leg) and a decent showing against a Zhang on the slide. The common denominator being they were all there to be hit. You can nit pick Parkers resume the same way if you wanted to (with every other fighter outside Usyk in the Rankings) but this idea that he is a serious threat just isn't there.
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2025
  7. Philosopher

    Philosopher Active Member Full Member

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    Aug 10, 2024
    I honestly think he beats the rest comfortably. Realistically, an in shape Fury is maybe still the hardest match up for him, but that ship has sailed. He schools Parker and Kabayel for me.
     
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  8. hoopsman

    hoopsman Boxing Addict Full Member

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    2,194
    Jul 24, 2005
    Usyk outpoints Parker, who's a good fighter but a bit pedestrian, rather comfortably.

    Kayabel has never fought, much less defeated, anyone even remotely as good as Usyk to suggest he's a legit threat.

    So tbe correct answer is Father Time.
     
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  9. offshoot

    offshoot Member banned Full Member

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    Jun 4, 2025
    Kabayel is looking good.

    But put him in with Usyk and he will look mediocre. Cause that's what great fighters do to good/very good fighters.
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2025
  10. Kiwi Fish

    Kiwi Fish Active Member Full Member

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    Dec 13, 2024
    He brings faster hands than Usyk has seen in nearly a decade, and never at heavyweight or his current age. Plus he has Andy Lee in his corner and the pair of them have been focusing on Usyk's game for a while now.

    This is compared to Usyk who hasn't really had Parker on his radar and Usyk is the kind of fighter who likes to prepare heavily for his opponents. He spent a year on Chisora for example and even longer for Joshua and Fury

    This is compared to Kabayel who has been happy fighting low tier fighters at home as the favourite for a decade before Saudi money lured him back into the world scene. Since then he beat an unproven Makhmudov who's best win was an ancient Takam, an injured Sanchez who hobbled around the ring and an even older Zhang than the one Parker beat.

    Like I said before, Usyk is the clear favourite, but Parker has the experience and performances to give him a decent fightcompared to relatively unproved challengers like Kabayel.
     
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  11. LoveThis

    LoveThis Sweet Science Full Member

    470
    579
    Feb 20, 2025
    You make a good case and I might use these arguments to help hype myself if parker is next.
    What you say about kabayel is also true, even though I assume that not being as connected is rather the reason for not getting the interesting fights than not wanting to fight. When you are dangerous (as proven with the chisora fight) but unknown, the conditions you get for fighting a named fighter are pretty bad. Hrgovic seemed to have had some trouble securing a meaningful fight, too. Someone argued, that he probably lost his fire over this and didn't quite manage to get it burning again. So I wouldn't hold it against kabayel, even less with how he won his recent fights. And I still maintain, that he is an unusual fighter and in my eyes he did way better against zhang (even if a bit older, but parker certainly didn't damage him too much) than the one parker fought.
     
  12. Kiwi Fish

    Kiwi Fish Active Member Full Member

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    I am impressed with Kabayel and love his style and want to see him in big fights against literally everybody, he looks so good and his style is entertaining against anybody and I want to see how it works out.

    Its funny though how Zhang is such a flexible fighter when it comes to ranking other fighters, Hrgovic barely beats him, and then Dubois beat Hrgovic and thats a great win for Dubois. Zhang then beats Joyce and he is one of the best in the division! Then Parker beats Zhang and suddenly he is old with no stamina. Zhang beats Wilder but its not a big deal since Wilder is washed and never that good anyway. Then Kabayel beats Zhang and suddenly Zhang is great again and the win is worth a lot.

    Its funny to see how much and how quickly people's opinions change.
     
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  13. PistonHondai

    PistonHondai Active Member Full Member

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    Jun 3, 2019
    Itauma vs Kabayel first before they deserve a chance to fight Usyk
     
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  14. FastSmith7

    FastSmith7 Boxing Addict Full Member

    6,462
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    Sep 16, 2017
    Still think it is Fury.

    Then Kabayel

    but he still beats them both
     
  15. like a boss

    like a boss Boxing Junkie Full Member

    13,210
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    Jul 30, 2012
    Parker and he deserves to be next up, assuming Usyk goes on.
     
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