Kabayel the one most likely to beat Usyk?

Opetaia and Opetaia only

 

Since there is virtually no chance it happens, he isn't.

 

agreed. However, i saw a recent interview with Opetaia where he mentioned he walks around at 215 lbs and he is lean at that weight. He has to cut to get to 200.

So i don't think he will need to add any weight. I think Usyk beats Opetaia but Jai is a live underdog whose style can make things interesting.

 

Kabayel doesn't KO people with a single body shot, he does it by consistently working the body round after round. He had big, fat, stationary targets in front of him against Makhmudov, Sanchez and Zhang, which he won't have against Usyk. He'll have to cut the ring off, work from weird angles and adjust to his opponent's footwork who has higher ring IQ than anyone in the game.

And without being able to work to the body consistently, Kabayel is a small HW with average speed and a little above average power. So the answer to the thread title is a no.

 

in theory its a interesting style match up i want to see. more so than a dubois rematch. But lets just say I still wouldn't put my money on Kabayel.

 

Of current ranked contenders he and Parker have the best chance - and neither of them has a very good chance.

 

The fight will never happen because Usyk refuses to acknowledge Kabayel even exists, and he'll retire before Usyk-Kabayel ever becomes a serious possibility.