Ağıt "The Big Puma" Kabayel

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by IntentionalButt, Jul 25, 2024.


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  1. IntentionalButt

    IntentionalButt Guy wants to name his çock 'macho' that's ok by me

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    Sell me on the guy.

    I mean, he's been on my radar for ages...seen him fight loads of times. But sell me on this new wave of enthusiasm.

    For many years I've pegged him for a "solid B+ workhorse" and "the kind of fighter Manuel Charr wishes he was" - but it seems lately there's been a push to crown him as the heir apparent once Usyk wraps up his business in the Fury rematch and rides off into the sunset. This seems to be attributable mostly to his pair of Riyadh victories over the last several months.

    Yes, snatching the zeroes of fellow ranked prospect/contenders with good kayo rates and decent amateur runs - one a Cuban and one a Russian, no less! - does look very spiffy. IMO, however, and I was consistent on this all throughout both of their rises - Sánchez Faure and Makhmudov were very overrated in the pros and never struck me as world beaters. :nusenuse: Neither has a single professional win over somebody that wasn't shot to bits and/or kind of crappy to begin with.

    His best victory honestly probably remains the one that first brought him to international prominence - the second defense of his EBU title in 2017 over Dereck Chisora. Now, this wasn't a great result because of Chisora having posted many good recent victories himself but due to his coming off strong performances in SD losses to Whyte & Pulev. Gaining a MD over Chisora not long after those guys put Kabayel in like company with them.

    And then...his momentum was sort of squandered. For an entire half-decade.

    Miljan Rovčanin. Andrey Vladimirovich Rudenko. Evgenios Lazaridis. 17-losses version of Kingpin Johnson. Pavel Sour. Agron Smakići.

    Any of those for a single tuneup after Chisora while awaiting some big opportunity would have been fine. Maybe a couple in a row, even. But six dates over five years against that ilk was no way to follow up on the promise of defeating a still game Del Boy.

    Now, after exposing two hype jobs people are crawling from the woodwork ready to anoint him the division's future. I have no problem with that, per se - he's good, we've always known that, and the division is bad, so a burly 6'3" heavy with B+ skills, heavy hands, and a good chin is certainly eligible to rise above the heap ...but what bothers me, as usual, is the fickle nature of the boxing hive mind, following the bouncing hype ball and putting him in the conversation as high as #3 currently h2h on the basis of beating some failed pro experiments in Sánchez Faure and Makhmudov.

    If you've been projecting eventual greatness for him since before last December, fair enough, that's legit. If you're a bandwagoner of the last seven months, though - pump the brakes. Or tell me what you saw in either Sánchez Faure or Makhmudov that makes for a good apples to apples comparison with any top 5 guy.
     
    IntentionalButt, Jul 25, 2024
    IntentionalButt, Jul 25, 2024
    #1
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  2. TheWizard

    TheWizard I Got Milk Baby Full Member

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    He's definitely a solid fighter and he surprised me a bit against Makhmudov and Sanchez, dominated both. Great bodywork, volume, decent power and knows how to put on pressure and cut off the ring. Seems quite durable too.

    But I'm with you. I haven't seen anything to suggest he will suddenly beat everyone going forward. Makhmudov and Sanchez would get beaten by a lot of people imo. The manner in which Kabayel won was impressive though.

    Also, let's not forget that this happened to him just 2 fights ago:

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    Would like to see him against guys like Bakole, Zhang, Joyce etc. before people declare him as the ''best of the rest''.
     
    TheWizard, Jul 25, 2024
    TheWizard, Jul 25, 2024
    #2
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  3. catchwtboxing

    catchwtboxing Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    He's now officially a B+ workhorse that goes to the body with power.

    I am not saying he is great, but he's legit.
     
    catchwtboxing, Jul 25, 2024
    catchwtboxing, Jul 25, 2024
    #3
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  4. Serge

    Serge Ginger Dracula Staff Member

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    I've rated him since he took Chisora to slick school. I thought he won that one quite clearly and his boxing skills and slickness really impressed me.

    It's not just the fact he beat Mak and Sanchez it's the manner in which he did so. He dominated them and looked very comfortable doing it. Skills, good power, durable and he can just flat-out fight and he can do so both on the front and backfoot. I think he's a very tough night's work for anyone but obviously we have some murderous punchers at HW and anyone can come unstuck if they get clipped.
     
    Serge, Jul 25, 2024
    Serge, Jul 25, 2024
    #4
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  5. Boxed Ears

    Boxed Ears this my daddy's account (RIP daddy) Full Member

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    He's like a four tier Tiffin. But what's inside?
     
    Boxed Ears, Jul 25, 2024
    Boxed Ears, Jul 25, 2024
    #5
  6. KO KIDD

    KO KIDD Loyal Member Full Member

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    He's talented but I'm not fully on board
     
    KO KIDD, Jul 25, 2024
    KO KIDD, Jul 25, 2024
    #6
  7. CST80

    CST80 De Omnibus Dubitandum Staff Member

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    I picked him to beat Chisora, Makhmudov and Sanchez, oddly enough the only guy I picked to beat him was Smakici, because Kabayel had been so inactive and Agron has a hell of a punch on him, so I figured he might walk on to something early. I guess I'm the Agit Whisperer.:sisi1 So take that standing knock down with a grain of salt, the mother****er has a great chin, and clearly has impressive powers of recovery. So even though I didn't realize it, I guess I have been pretty high on him.:lol: He's probably the most skilled and versatile heavyweight outside of Usyk and I think he could be most of the top 10.
     
    CST80, Jul 25, 2024
    CST80, Jul 25, 2024
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  8. Finkel

    Finkel Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I must admit he wasn't on my radar pre-Chisora. But it was an impressive performance. I thought Chisora seemed off his game and resigned to the loss. At the same time, Kabayel has to be given credit for that, in the same way we laud other fighters for nullifying an opponent. He was a definitely a dark horse against the hyped Makhmudov. Even so, it was surprising the ease he dealt with Sanchez.

    I'd really like to see him get a title shot. He beat the WBC#3 then the WBC#2 back to back. He deserves a title shot already. Though I wouldn't complain if he gets matched in another good fight. As others said, the winner of Bakole/Anderson would be fun. But it might be hard to make - Kabayel having gone the WBC route and Bakole the WBA. Maybe the Saudis reward him and get the fights made
     
    Finkel, Jul 26, 2024
    Finkel, Jul 26, 2024
    #8
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  9. peter_uk

    peter_uk Well-Known Member Full Member

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    He has sparred many of the top heavyweights and they speak quite highly of him; I remember Joshua talking him up after sparring him. I don't see him beating Usyk or Fury but I would give him at least a chance vs everyone else.
     
    peter_uk, Jul 26, 2024
    peter_uk, Jul 26, 2024
    #9
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  10. Boxing2019

    Boxing2019 If you want peace, prepare war. banned Full Member

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    Kabayel is one the 10 best HWs fighters around.
     
    Boxing2019, Jul 26, 2024
    Boxing2019, Jul 26, 2024
    #10
  11. Camps

    Camps Member Full Member

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    Watching Justis Huni's dismantling of Troy Pilcher yesterday I was getting flashbacks to Kabayel.

    Anyway, of course, Kabayel is certainly within the top-10. (After all, Ring magazine and WBO rank him #5, IBF #4 and WBC #2; only the bizarro WBA rankings have him outside the top-5.)

    The question is, when will he be given a shot at a title -- or at least Zhang or Parker to place him in title conversation?

    And speaking of Chisora, why are $$ being wasted on a Chisora-Joyce match? I'm not ready to say Joyce is done (though Zhang certainly seems to have his number), but Chisora certainly is....
     
    Camps, Jul 26, 2024
    Camps, Jul 26, 2024
    #11
  12. UnleashtheFURY

    UnleashtheFURY D'oh! Full Member

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    **** knows what will happen to the HW division after Fury/Usyk is through and the winner steps away from boxing.
     
    UnleashtheFURY, Jul 26, 2024
    UnleashtheFURY, Jul 26, 2024
    #12
  13. Serge

    Serge Ginger Dracula Staff Member

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    He could've outboxed Mak, defused him by tiring him out and breaking him down gradually before taking him out in the back half of the fight. However, he opted to make a statement by bullying the bully, a risky thing to do against a massive puncher like Mak, and just went out there and beat him up and stopped him

    Then he did the same to Sanchez who would've been taken out just as quickly as Mak was if he didn't octopus grab Agit like crazy

    He completely dominated them both. Neither fight was even competitive. He went out there and beat them up, dropped them multiple times, and took them out in 4 and 7 rounds respectively. Back to back statement performances.

    Sure he got hurt against Smakici but he stood up to a vicious sustained barrage of at least 20 shots, the majority of which whilst hurt, from a puncher with a KO 90%, which would've finished the vast majority of other HWs.
     
    Serge, Jul 26, 2024
    Serge, Jul 26, 2024
    #13
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  14. realsoulja

    realsoulja Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    He look like an off duty kebab shop worker but when some Saudi money came through he got time to actually train without worrying about bills. Then he upped a few levels vs Makhmudov and Sanchez. Never thought he would decimate Makhmudov in the manner he did.
     
    realsoulja, Jul 26, 2024
    realsoulja, Jul 26, 2024
    #14
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  15. Perkin Warbeck

    Perkin Warbeck Boxing aficionado Full Member

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    Kabayel is a very good heavyweight who has suffered from poor promotion during the past decade.

    He finally got his chance and decisively beat Makhmudov and Sanchez, both of whom were avoided by other heavyweights. He deserves a big fight and a shot at a world title now.
     
    Perkin Warbeck, Jul 27, 2024
    Perkin Warbeck, Jul 27, 2024
    #15
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