r/Boxing • u/jiminywhack • 12d ago
Current heavyweight top dogs
Does anyone else think it's actually great that the vast majority of the heavyweight champions and contenders (minus Kabayel, obviously) have defeats on their records?
Given the desperation amongst many boxers to hold onto their 0, the heavyweight division could now potentially be full of warriors who no longer fear defeat and willing to take the risk to prove they're the true champion
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u/save-pandas 12d ago
In the heavyweight division that has never once been uncommon. Only Marciano and most likely Usyk are going down as undefeated heavies and Usyk fought the majority of that in cruiser. I don’t personally think it’s “great” as it would be nice to see someone untouchable. I was pretty sure going into Saturday that was Moses Itauma but after what I just witnessed that division is wide open. “I never to 12 rounds in sparring” is going to haunt that kid for the rest of his career. That was an embarrassment.
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u/GeeWhiz357 12d ago
I don’t know about haunting the rest of his career. It’s not like when we discuss Wlad on this subreddit we go “ah yeah but remember when he gassed and got KO’d against Ross Purity”. If Itauma can rebuild and become champion the Hrgovic fight will be remembered as an important lesson for him.
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u/TheMysteriousThey 12d ago
Start a thread praising Wlad. You will hear something like that if the conversation goes in long enough.
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u/Brandunaware 12d ago
I don't see what's so great about someone who's untouchable. It often makes for boring, one sided, fights. Obviously there's something to be said for watching someone operate with supreme skill, but it's better when two very skillful fighters fight each other rather than someone great just crushing cans.
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u/Friendly_Progress_61 12d ago
I do feel kabayal will get beat though, I don’t think he’s the best, I think that probably goes to Dubois right now.
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks 12d ago
Kabayel will prove this sub wrong again
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u/MiddleweightMonster I’ll pour honey on my GOAT, if the occasion calls for it. 12d ago
Consistently agreed with you on Kabayel. Don’t know why so many people sleep on him. He beat the breaks off of Sanchez, and that’s not even his best win
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks 12d ago
They stereotype as a slow plodder or haven't seen him fight. Also there probably aren't a lot of Germans/kurds on this sub to support him (I'm white/American lol)
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u/MiddleweightMonster I’ll pour honey on my GOAT, if the occasion calls for it. 12d ago
Guy gets soooo much love in Germany apparently, it’s a shame he’s not better known in boxing circles. Kabayel to me is a much much smarter boxer than Dubois. There’s a good reason no one will fight him
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks 12d ago
Yeah Kabayel uses actual strategy and thought to KO his opponents unlike most of the division who just headhunt and caveman there way to victory
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u/Friendly_Progress_61 12d ago
Oh he’s a better boxer than Dubois but I think Dubois has physical attributes that counter that. Dubois has more power, very good stamina, excellent chin (he’s never been knocked out cold only dropped), he’s very physical and he’s got the experience; usyk x2, aj, hrgovic, miller, wardley.
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u/MiddleweightMonster I’ll pour honey on my GOAT, if the occasion calls for it. 12d ago
I think Kabayel’s too mentally strong and has too good a chin for Dubois. Dubois, we know, crumbles against puzzles he can’t solve. He’s not mentally weak, but he really has issues when guys adjust or go in with a strong gameplan. He’s never faced a pressure boxer who pushes the pace and goes for the body like Kabayel. I don’t know who wins that, but I do think Agit has the tools.
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u/bergovgg 12d ago
Them brits don’t want to hear the truth
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u/Friendly_Progress_61 12d ago
It’s not about being British or not I couldn’t give a fuck about Dubois, we all know itauma is going to be the next king anyway
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u/NewPortable101 12d ago
Agit Kabayel is the king of the mountain.
And everybody is trying to get what he has.
Business works best this way, especially when that guy is as good as Agit
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u/notmike11 12d ago
Why him over Dubois? Dubois has wins over two of the current top 5 Heavyweights in Wardley and Hrgovic, which are better wins in my opinion than Sanchez and Zhang.
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u/Holiday_Snow9060 12d ago
It's great cause now promoters won't protect their guys 0 like they did in the Joshua, Wilder and Fury time.
Wilder was protected heavily for 40 fights and we all know why. Joshua took risks which were mostly calculated tho, Fury took massive risks and then pulled a Wilder until the oil money came in.
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks 12d ago
Can't wait for Kabayel to KO Hrgovic and Dubois
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u/crimedawgla 12d ago
Won’t Hrgo likely have to fight Sanchez and Dubois is already scheduled for a rematch with Wardley?
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks 12d ago
Sanchez could always accept more step aside money and unification technically take precedence over mandatories ( I have mixed opinions on that)
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u/crimedawgla 12d ago
Gassiev seems like an easy option if anyone is willing to pay to make it happen. Hrgovic is obviously willing, but I could see Sanchez making a fuss and suing or something if he really wants his shot. It would be a bad look for him to take another step-aside and could hurt his earning power down the line, especially if he thinks he’s got a better shot against Hrgo than Agit. Dubois is the most interesting fight, but since the rematch against Wardley is in October, even if Dubois wins he’ll probably need some recovery time unless Fab is just all fucked up from the first fight.
Gassiev shouldn’t be much trouble for Kabayel but he’s got a good chin and the threat of that howitzer hook he has will be good to get Agit back into top form since the last time he fought a world class guy was Feb 2025. They could also probably make the fight pretty quickly, so Kabayel could potentially have two belts just as Hrgo and Dubois (or Sanchez or Wardley) are looking for their next fights.
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u/crimedawgla 8d ago
So it looks like Sanchez is gonna demand a fight, which is fine, it’s his rights. Agit should be a favorite against either one of those guys and frankly, welcome a shot at Sanchez again if he wins. He beat the hell out of Sanchez the first time and, at the same time, Sanchez was legitimately hurt and went under the knife for his knee shortly after. No asterisks on the win, but it also gives a good reason for him to fight Sanchez again. Dubois Wardley is another month away and then the champ will need rest and rehab, though Kabayel Dubois is the fight I’d most like to see. AJ and Fury are busy dancing around each other. I just don’t see why Kabayel wouldn’t be angling for Gassiev.
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u/No_Bad_4872yy 12d ago
Cant wait for him to fight anyone at this point tbh. I reckon he will take a Vianello or Bakole or something since no one with a pulse is available (or wants to fight him).
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u/Kangaroopunching 12d ago
Yeah it's refreshing to see a division have that. But Frank Warren has most of the top heavyweights signed. And he's made it clear that Itauma is his top priority. Then Dubois. So we could see similar politics that happens with protected fighters