Tyson Fury vs Agit Kabayel likely for December 5th

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Fury is the only fighter on the planet who will take on a superior fighter as a tune up for the one he's tuning up for

Mr. Kabayel, congratulations on defending your title. Another step towards a world championship fight. You have already been in the ring with a current world champion: Anthony Joshua. How did you become his sparring partner?


Agit Kabayel : That was before his fight against Povetkin. Since we're about the same size, I was contacted. Typically, top 20 boxers never go to a world champion because they don't want to train with an opponent they'll eventually fight. I didn't care. I just wanted to see where I was, so I went to see him. I took a lot with me and had a very good sparring with Joshua. Today he still comments on my pictures on Instagram. Joshua now has a face to Kabayel.

You made a good impression.

Kabayel : When we got to the first sparring, his trainer chose me as his first sparring partner. So I'm in the sparring, we should do six rounds. We started, I immediately moved forward and put a lot of pressure on. Joshua was amazed! After the sixth round, the entire sparring was over. He didn't expect me to be so physically fit. Joshua didn't do any more sparring that day. He stood there and was completely exhausted. And then I noticed that you can break it if you move a lot and hit a lot.





You were clearly superior to your opponent in terms of stamina when you defended your title. In addition to your coach Sükrü Aksu, who has accompanied you for many years, you have a former American football player, Christian Mohr, who was under contract with the Seattle Seahawks, as an athletics trainer on your team. What part does the coaching team have in your success?

Kabayel : My coach has been by my side since the beginning of my career and has played a huge part in my success. He has always assumed a kind of father role for me, even outside of the ring he supports me in all situations. During the preparation period in particular, Sükrü and I spend day and night together. I went to Christian Mohr's a few months ago and watched the training. It's amazing what he's capable of. I was really surprised. How he works, what devices he works with. I have been to various fitness trainers very often who have worked on my condition and strength, but I have never had someone who works so specifically on something. It is extreme.

Are there any plans to sparring with Joshua again? His next opponent, Jarrell Miller, is very much like you again.

Kabayel : Yes, Joshua will definitely contact me. I'll go there safely for two weeks.



Kabayel: "My father was totally against me boxing"
Let's look back a little. You started boxing relatively late.

Kabayel : I played soccer when I was young. When I was 16, I started out with kickboxing. I've been a professional boxer since 2011.

How did you spend your childhood?

Kabayel : We come from the Ruhr area. My childhood was very difficult, but the good thing was that everything on the street was a big mishmash. Everyone was with everyone, you grew up with everyone and got to know all kinds of cultures. Germans, Turks, Kurds, completely multi-cultural. You went out, no matter what time, and everyone was on the football field. In my childhood I only played soccer. For example with Leroy Sane, who grew up with me. He lived across the street from me.

Compared to Sane, things didn't work out so well with his footballing career.

Kabayel: I tried. (laughs) I played up to the association league, but it wasn't enough for more. At some point I realized that I was no longer going to be great. After that, I gained a lot of weight. I ate out of frustration because my footballing career didn't work out.

And then you decided to become a boxer?

Kabayel : It wasn't my intention to become a professional boxer. I didn't think of becoming a professional, of becoming a European champion, to box the world championship. I only started to lose weight. I stopped playing soccer when I was 14 and just didn't do anything for two years. Then came the belly, the growth, I was 1.87 m tall and fat. Then one night I saw the movie "Rocky" and thought to myself: 'Great! I want that, too. I can't look like that, I have to change something now. I have to get fit again. ' Then I started kickboxing.

Her father, however, was not enthusiastic about this idea.

Kabayel : My father was totally against me boxing. He always said I should go to work. In the beginning, when I was kickboxing, I didn't make any money. I went to Holland for 400 euros to fight. The one who brokered the fight, who pocketed the money, ran away. My foot was broken and I didn't get any money. The sport was really dirty. When I switched to boxing, I didn't make any money either, just small sums. But my father said, 'If you do something, do it 100 percent. Metal that works will never rust. ' Then I did my thing and now I'm standing here, I've become European champion and of course it goes on.

Kabayel on the chance of a world championship fight

Can Agit Kabayel beat Anthony Joshua in a world championship fight?

Kabayel: 100 percent. If you have good cover and move very well, you can hit him. You only make him strong if you box him at a long distance. Because at this short distance, when everyone thinks they are so explosive, so strong, that doesn't suit them. He's a big man and you can hurt his body a lot. Povetkin did that wrong. He went in, beat his situations, and went out. It was in those moments that Joshua hit him with the jab or with the right hand. He should have stayed in and hit his combinations. Nothing can happen there. If you wear him down, you notice how he always collapses in terms of condition. Not only because I've sparring with him, I already trust myself to box him. If I didn't do that what am I doing here then? Why do I box? I am not satisfied with the European Champion belt. Of course I also want to box for the world championship and also want to be world champion.

 

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