Kabayel Can Break Fury Down Inside

Rather than waste energy hunting the heads of taller heavyweights, Kabayel dips below their reach, closes their lateral exits and attacks the floating ribs. Once his opponent lowers his elbows, he brings short punches upstairs before returning to the body.

That approach would attack the foundation of Fury’s style under SugarHill Steward. Fury has relied on stepping inside, leaning his weight onto opponents and smothering their punches while he rests. It worked against heavyweights who accepted the clinch or lacked the hand position to strike underneath his arms.

Inside fighting suits Kabayel. He keeps a compact guard, maintains his balance and digs short hooks below the elbows. Fury leaning forward would place his ribs closer to Kabayel’s fists rather than removing the danger.

Arslanbek Makhmudov was dismantled in four rounds. Frank Sanchez was chopped down in seven after being forced backward and repeatedly hurt downstairs. Zhilei Zhang lasted six rounds before Kabayel’s pressure and body punching broke him.

At 38, Fury would have to absorb the same treatment while carrying considerably more mileage and weight. He no longer moves for twelve rounds as he once did. Kabayel would deny him control of the pace through clinches.

Netflix Needs Joshua, Not The WBC Belt

Fury and Joshua are still being lined up for November 20 at Madison Square Garden, although Joshua’s side wants revised financial terms after the proposed move from Britain.

Netflix’s interest rests on the names Fury and Joshua, their history and their ability to attract casual viewers in the United States. Kabayel brings a world title but lacks Joshua’s crossover recognition. The sporting risk far exceeds his commercial value as a substitute.

Having already held the WBC belt, Fury has little reason to endanger the Joshua event merely to regain a title he owned for five years. Their fight does not need championship status to generate enormous money.

Fury’s manager, Spencer Brown, has indicated that Fury may still box at Madison Square Garden on November 20 if Joshua withdraws. Keeping the date would leave Fury’s team with a difficult replacement search.

Fury has already taken consecutive warm-up fights against Arslanbek Makhmudov and 46-year-old Mariusz Wach. Netflix cannot build a major Madison Square Garden event around a third tune-up, especially after advertising Fury versus Joshua to its audience. The substitute would need enough credibility to headline without Joshua.

Kabayel supplies that credibility. He holds the WBC title, has stopped Makhmudov, Sanchez and Zhang, and gives Fury a legitimate championship fight. Those same qualities make him the worst opponent for anyone trying to preserve the Joshua event.

The choice would come down to commercial value against physical risk. A lesser opponent protects Fury but weakens the Netflix card. Kabayel justifies the broadcast but may destroy any chance of Fury facing Joshua later.

That is why Kabayel makes sense as a replacement only if Fury’s side accepts that the Joshua fight may never be recovered. Placing him in front of Fury while negotiations remain alive would put the largest remaining purse of both careers at risk.

Darshan Desai listed three fights he believes will be announced this weekend but did not name Kabayel’s opponent:

“BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND

Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2
Agit Kabayel’s title defense
Anthony Cacace’s next fight.”

Desai posted the announcement tease on X.