If Wardley beats Parker fairly should he get the title shot against Usyk over Kabayel?

I was just going to say that, Parker > Zhang, Huni > crippled Sanchez and Clarke/Adeleye = Makhmudov

 

Yes, I agree, but I also think Kabayel deservedly earned the interim WBC title and deserves a world title shot before Wardley. Honestly I wouldn't mind a Wardley - Kabayel or a Parker - Kabayel fight at all. In my opinion Wardley won't be able to beat Parker, but either way it'll be an interesting fight, and there's not much time left.

 

Hmm...

Let's break that down.

For starters, of course, it depends what else that fighter has accomplished - but since we're talking about Wardley, let's go there.

His best wins so far are Clarke and Adeleye, with a half decent prospect in Huni and an okay journeyman in Molina.

So let's look at Kabayel's best wins since his revival Vs a Wardley who'd beaten Parker?

Who's a better win - Parker or Zhang?
Parker almost without question (unless he throws it by fighting stupid like he did against Joyce).
1-0 Wardley, wide.

Who's a better win - Clarke or Makh?
On hype you might think this is a silly question, but then hype makes people believe silly things...
Take their respective Allen fights - Clarke won a horrible fight by stoppage, Makh won quite wide.
Hype aside, there's not so very much in it... Makh's done a bit more overall, but both are pretty average journeymen.

Who's a better win - Adeleye or Sanchez?
Sanchez, again, is much more hyped but this time has actually done more overall. Adeleye did okay against Hrgovic, despite losing, where Sanchez best win is another overhyped mediocrity in Ajagba.
Sanchez wins this one, but it's closer than many would admit.
1-1 Kabayel.


So, then, is it really such a big stretch to think that beating Parker would put someone like Wardley in the same ballpark as Kabayel?
I don't think so.


Plus... Just think of the narrative - we've seen the hype go into overdrive after one good, unexpected, win many times here... I wouldn't bet against that happening again if Wardley wins - would you?

That's the issue I have - a lot of people seem to be assuming Kabayel has done a whole heck of a lot more than he actually has...

Absolutely.

And I totally agree...

The difference is, I find the Zhang win is doing much the same thing for Kabayel.

 

Idk if I'd put Huni on that kind of pedestal... But it's true that there wouldn't be much between them - Wardley would have the best headline win, there'd be less between them otherwise than most would admit.


Unless....

Unless you add Chisora in.

But - when it's Parker Vs Kabayel arguments it's always about recent history to downplay Parker's much deeper resume - so why should a win separated from the pridelands by an elephant graveyard full of stiffs be counted on the tally here?

 

Good comment Bubbles.
Fair enough I hadn't actually thought about it quite like that re the Zhang win. It's doing some heavy lifting for sure.
And I suppose for Usyk a Wardley (if he beats Parker) would make dollars, so it'd make sense.

 

Oh for sure.
Just gets pretty thin pretty fast after that is all. Recent form is probably reasonably equal having said that.
Yep fair enough, I've been convinced.

 

Aye, on some level.

I suppose you could suggest legacy value is unclear, since Wardleys resume is thin... And you'd have a point.

Equally... It's not like Kabayel would bring significantly more in that case - plus, Wardley has been building up, and Kabayel's habit of stepping backwards from beating decent opponents to fighting at much lower levels (as he's doing again now) would understandably make it difficult to trust his legacy potential.