Agit Kabayel deserves his title shot

Yes, Kabayel deserves a title shot, but, as some have already written here, we're unlikely to see him fight Usyk. It would also be an interesting matchup against Wardley.

 

I think Agit doesn't deserve a title shot. He doesn't beat anyone from top 5. Moreover, you cannot beat a top 30 bum and ask for a title shot. The same is the situation with Itauma. He doesn't have the right to ask for a title match after beating guys like Wach, Whyte and probably Jermain Franklin. Wardley have more arguments to ask for a title match after beating Parker.
The best scenario is Usyk vs Wilder (just to add the last big name from the era to his resume) and Wardley, Itauma and Agit Kabayel to fight against each other or at least beat someone like Fury, Joshua, Dubbois or Parker. Fighting guys from top 30 should never secure a title shot.

 

The flipside this is Wilder will always have a double asterisk next to him on Usyk's resume...

One for shot.
The other for fraud.

Sure, it's the last big name and it might well sell even though Wilder hasn't had a decent win in years, but that's about all it's good for.

Kabayel is as deserving as anyone - his resume isn't as great as is often made out, but the division is very thin at the top... As long as he doesn't repeat his German bumfight, he should be up there.

 

Have no issue with this.

 

He chose Dubois possibly as he was a belt holder coming off a bigger win than any of the above in another history making fight and possibly, I would guess to a greater size audience

 

Fury rarely fought and all he took were soft touches. Old men and bums.

 

The sport is beyond help.

 

On the other hand he has done more than most to earn his Shot. If he was english he would already wear a belt.

Beating sanchez, makhmudov and zhang is certainly more than joshua, wilder or parker did for their world title. Not to speak of charles martin. Wardley can compete with kabayel but his only claim to fame is the parker win which was helped by the referee in his home country.

Yes I would also like to see kabayel in meaningful fights, but i just don't like the injustice. If you challenge yourself all the time obviously you're bound to slip up sometime. Which is fine, but not if not everyone is asked to do that.

If we're proposing fights other than kabayel usyk it should be kabayel wardley. So there is a title on the line.

I mean dubois got his shot after swerving parker!

Other than that i agree. challengers should have meaningful fights and not knockovers. Usyk, too. Strip usyk if he fights the likes of wilder and only fights once a year. Can't strip him quickly enough. I'd rather have hrgovic win a belt then, to keep things moving - not itauma because i can image what Happens then...

The point I am trying to make is kind of a delicate one: i think fighters from countries with less established boxing business can not call their shots the way the others can. In that position it is an understandable strategy to watch which fights you take. I don't like it, but to me the system is more at fault than the fighter. Dangle a carrot of career money in front of me and tell me if I make a mistake it will be gone - what will I do?

**** System boxing has.

 

of course he does. lord knows usyk's resume lacks some title defences against mandatories and Kabayel is for sure the number 1 challanger currently.

hate this "he beats him anyway" talk. I'd pick Usyk to win but fighters have to fight to be considered the best and Kabayel is much different from his previous heavyweight wins.

 

Don't know what you're on about.

What do you think a fighter has to do to deserve a shot at the title?

And you compare resume of itauma to kabayel's?

The best scenario is wilder vs usyk?

Can't believe what some people are saying here.

1 you want a meaningless fight for the dominant world champion instead of a challenge of the best opponents.
2 kabayel beats noone from the top 5? Did you see what he did to makhmudov and zhang? And what zhang did to parker? And how wardley got a referee win against parker?(Might have won with a real ko but would have lost on the cards) Yes makhmudov is not the best but noone fought him like this.

So who are these top 5 fighters that kabayel could not possibly beat? Usyk, parker, dubois, wardley, hrgovic? Ridiculous

You have a come forward fighter that gets in the face of his opponents at high Level with a body attack never seen before and has the best current run in heavy now apart from usyk and you don't think he is deserving?

Sounds like crazy bias.

 

He's done more than most... Yes.

My point is basically that I don't want him to be allowed to become another Wilder - if he gets his hands on a belt and then retreats to Germany fighting poor quality opponents like Knyba or Hysa, he would be an illegitimate champion in my eyes.

Everyone should be expected to do that.

My concern with Kabayel is that he has a track record of taking a massive backwards step when he doesn't need to.

I hope he gets back into some more respectable fights and proves me wrong, but my gut just doesn't quite trust him after that shameful run after Chisora.

They don't help build big purses, no... At least not without doing a lot more to build/earn the reputation that generates the big purses.
And that means to be financially worthwhile they have to be expecting lower cuts to make sense - the fact the fights don't happen suggests they're typically not.

 

Can someone explain the huge following that Kabayel has?
I have been accused of being anti-Kabayel, and i am really not - i just do not see the superlatives being laid at his door.

Thank you in advance.

 

I'm not confident Kabayel is the type of guy that will consistently fight contenders unlike Usyk.

As you said - Kabayel will have a respectable win then fight once a year against a second rate pretender. This is a clear pattern that has been occuring.

 

Undefeated and has a unique punch selection.

 

You're right, there is a real danger of kabayel being the next german based fighter to hold belts hostage with mediocre events where commentators make up even more bs than the english or american ones to sell crap to the viewers like it's gold... That would be the moment my support for kabayel to get his shot turns into disgust. Hope it never happens.

To me he came from nowhere, had three fights where he was a massive underdog and won all three in a new, surprising and convincing manner. He didn't use zhangs gas tank against hin but fought him full on in the early rounds. He didn't shy away from the slugging makhmudov. Beautiful bodyshots against a weak-seeming sanchez. Loved the power in the body jab. Have never seen it like this in heavy.

At a time where parker and dubois are the top contenders he is quite refreshing and very much on the highest currently available contender level. But i don't think many expect him to win against usyk.

And bonus Points for kabayel - there is Noone else remotely on that level who is not a native english speaker... I like outsiders like that. I think the mexicans and japanese and even australians get the short end of the straw way too often while delivering what is actually expected of boxers and helping the sport with their performances.

So as a FU to that side of boxing I'd like kabayel to have success