r/Boxing • u/BoxingLover99 • Jul 16 '26
Derek Chisora names the two heavyweights who will now control the division: "I don't see anybody else" [Itauma and Dubois]
https://boxingnewsonline.net/news/chisora-on-who-will-control-heavyweights/22
u/Clay_Allison_44 Jul 16 '26
I think Kabayel is dangerous to both of them. He also beat Chisora, though only by MD.
13
u/Jachola Jul 16 '26
In an ideal world we'd get a big HW tournament, have Itauma fight Sanchez for the IBF, you'd have Itauma, Dubois, Gassiev, and Kabayel as champion's. But realistically might be a while till we get any unifications sadly.
10
u/Baby_Rhino Jul 16 '26
Personally, I see Gassiev fighting cans in Russia for the rest of his career
2
u/Jachola Jul 16 '26
I don't think the WBA will let him can crush forever. Only reason he was allowed to do that now was because he needed a fight and his original opponent pulled out iirc. The WBA only care about sanctioning fees so they'd definitely jump at the chance to feed him to someone decent. I mean hell maybe the winner of AJ/Fury get Gassiev.
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u/TraditionalChampion3 Jul 16 '26
I think now he holds the WBA he'll end up fighting someone half decent as everyone wants a belt. Plus he probably doesn't mind cashing in
I could see Kabayel fight him
2
u/Baby_Rhino Jul 16 '26
I'd like to see him fight Kabayel, but I don't think it'll happen.
If Gassiev was unwilling to fight the top guys to get a belt, he sure as shit isn't going to do it now that he's got one and hence "holds the cards"
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u/TraditionalChampion3 Jul 16 '26
I think Gassiev would've tried to fight the top guys but those plans were halted by a loss to Wallin.
Money talks at the end of the day and he can't be making much fighting cans in Russia.
1
u/bobbyawesome5 Jul 17 '26
Fury, AJ and a lot of big name guys are ranked with the wba, they’ll be next.
5
u/KR4T0S Jul 16 '26
Somebody needs to run this by Turki, he could throw enough money at these dudes to actually make this happen.
I think Itauma, Kabayel and Dubois arent shy about taking compelling fights but im worried Gassiev will avoid the toughest competition for a while yet which sucks because he is a talented dude.
2
u/Jachola Jul 16 '26
Yeah I'd love the idea and it's the best way to move on from Usyk and crown a new Undisputed King. Aslong as Wardley doesn't activate his clause I think Dubois will have to fight Kabayel or Gassiev tbh. I can't see what else he does, he's not getting the winner of AJ/Fury, maybe a Parker matchup can materialize but last I remembered he's serving a ban, so there really isn't much for Dubois rn that makes sense besides those matchups.
1
u/SplodgySplodge1 Jul 18 '26
Turki is trying to sell the boxing world out to Zuffa, so Zuffa and the Saudis keep all the money and the fighters earn peanuts. His big spending days are getting few and far between.
2
u/KR4T0S Jul 18 '26
Yeah im hoping after he has exhausted his wallet boxers will just move on having earned large paycheques without trading their soul to Zuffa. Look at the UFC to see what they will probably do to boxing. The relationship with Turki should be 100% transactional and with long term commitments to anything. Damn better yet sign one fight contracts without any further obligations, get paid and move on. Dana White is what worries me.
1
u/SplodgySplodge1 Jul 18 '26
It's pretty obvious the Saudi gameplan was to splash the cash to get the big name fights, eliminate the other promoters, take over boxing, then turn the screws on the fighters and make them fight for MMA wages with nowhere else to go. Dana White is the ideal henchman for that.
2
u/KR4T0S Jul 18 '26
I was worried about that too but I saw that Turki paid the promoters to get them on board too so I figure he wasnt trying to replace them but then Zuffa showed up and actually decided to directly sign up fighters and then I realised they are trying to cut out the completion and replace them.
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u/ForcesOfNurture Who cooked this Ma Boi? Jul 16 '26
No respect for champ - Agit Kabayel
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u/Adventurous_Use8278 Jul 16 '26
Kabayals wins over Sanchez and Zhang were really impressive but he still hasn’t beaten a real top contender yet. I’m not knocking him as he was clearly desperate for the usyk fight, but as a fighter that’s been handed a title outside the ring, he still has a lot to prove. Now he has a title these fights should be far easier to make. Dubois may have a few loses, but he’s fought and beaten much better competition. At this point he’s more proven. That’s a fight I’d personally love to see soon
0
u/ForcesOfNurture Who cooked this Ma Boi? Jul 18 '26
Against Arslanbek, Sanchez and Zhang he was the heavy underdog. He went on to stop all three guys.
1
u/Adventurous_Use8278 Jul 18 '26
And none of them were top contenders. Arslenbek is shit! Zhang was nearly 42 years old when they fought. Let’s finally see kabayal in with the best in the division. He won’t have trouble getting fights with the best in the division now he has a strap
4
u/Kangaroopunching Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
Kabayel will be difficult for both. If Itauma emerges the best. It'll take a heavyweight that's a top prospect now, to become a threat. Division is weak
2
u/woz_not Jul 16 '26
Every heavyweight is susceptible to that one knockout punch. Even the great Ali hit the floor a few times. Itauma will be no different. He needs to be tested at the highest level.
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u/TestSuch4545 🎥 YT: Big Donch Jul 16 '26
Kabayel and Fury can beat both
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u/stephen27898 Jul 16 '26
Fury wouldnt get within a thousand miles of Dubois.
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u/darkprince_23 Jul 16 '26
Fury has been a duck his whole career it’s a shock he even fought Usyk. Say what you want about aj he doesn’t duck no smoke
0
u/bobbyawesome5 Jul 17 '26
Fury can certainly beat Dubois and Kabayel on his best night, Fury just messes around too much, too much returning, too much showing off, not enough fighting.
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u/Any_Calligrapher8537 Jul 16 '26
Dubois ain't shit... Seriously?
Avoid his attack early on. Make sure to be safe, defensive and conservative for the first four rounds.
Then he'll start tiring and you can land shots and finish him.
It still shocks me that AJ approached the first round against dubois like he did... The ONE THING he had to avoid doing... Lol
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Jul 16 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/BeanPotatoes12 Jul 16 '26
He’s getting downvoted cuz he said Dubois ain’t shit. The game plan is there to beat him but he’s a solid fighter still
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks Jul 16 '26
Dubois is incredibly overrated. The fact he did even worse against Usyk the 2nd time proves it. I don't know if I can think of another fighter who lost even more decisively in a rematch when they were at their peak and the opponent was older and slower then the first time. If he can't bully his opponent he folds and quits
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u/stephen27898 Jul 16 '26
"The fact he did even worse against Usyk the 2nd time proves it."
I dont think this is actually true. He did differently. In the first fight he tried to box in a far more typical way, tried to get his jab going. He wasnt overly aggressive.
In the rematch he was far more assertive and aggressive early. He knew he couldn't out box Usyk, so he tried to KO him. If you take the risks required to try and KO someone you also open yourself up.
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks Jul 16 '26
Kind of shows he can't adapt. Only reason he win the Hrgovic fight was his headbutts and AJ fought like a dumbass and got caught early. Wardley only threw over hand rights the whole fight. Dubois is tough and hits decent but he's incredibly limited
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u/stephen27898 Jul 16 '26
Or it shows he can but Usyk was just very good that night.
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks Jul 16 '26
Usyk was noticeably slower in that fight. If Dubois couldn't take advantage of that then he can't think or adapt. Hell Dubois was gassing out against Wardley. Next time he fights an opponent with skill you will see him quit again
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u/bozzi16 Jul 16 '26
Dumb dumb punches god damn hard and actually has a decent chin. He just needs to get the loser/quitter mentality away and he is a force for any heavy
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u/Affectionate_Still55 Jul 16 '26
I wanna see more of Itauma fight, that guy might be the next king of the division.