“I talked with Frank Warren, with George Warren, with all the team from Queensbury,” Kabayel told Betway and Playbook Boxing. “But the situation is not easy. Nobody is available.”
Kabayel pointed to Hrgovic having already fought Moses Itauma, while Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley are occupied with one another. Fury and Joshua could also finally collide later this year.
“Next week maybe we can announce one name,” he said. “Frank knows me, I’ll fight everyone. For me, the politics isn’t interesting. I say bring me the name, I’m ready for everyone.”
The German-Kurdish heavyweight is not short of targets.
“For me, I want to fight with Fury, or AJ, or with Hrgović for the belt,” Kabayel said. “But the problem is which one is available, and which one is not available.”
Hrgovic has moved higher on that list after beating Itauma, and Kabayel was there to see how the veteran Croatian handled the 21-year-old.
“I was there. I see the experience for Moses, he’s twenty-one years old, we’ve not forgot that,” Kabayel said. “He has amazing power, he has very good boxing skill, but experience is very important in heavyweight boxing.”
Kabayel thought Hrgovic’s patience was the difference.
“Hrgović did everything perfect in the fight. He waited, he waited, he waited, he waited, and he waited for the perfect situation.”
That is an old heavyweight lesson. Power can get a young fighter through plenty of nights, but knowing when not to throw is often just as valuable. Kabayel believes Itauma can come back stronger if he absorbs what went wrong rather than trying to erase the defeat with another quick knockout.
“This is definitely the best for him, when he comes back and he’s learned from this, from the situation,” Kabayel said. “But we will see. We will see in the next fight. Is this in his head, or has Moses changed.”
He even offered a possible comeback opponent.
“I’ll tell you one name I think would be good for Itauma’s comeback fight, Damian Knyba. Knyba vs Moses is a good fight.”
Kabayel also expects Oleksandr Usyk’s career to be close to its finish.
“I think he will retire. He will maybe make one more fight,” he said. “I’ve heard he might make a fight with Deontay, I don’t know. After that fight he will retire his career.”
The Fury-Joshua discussion produced another firm opinion. Kabayel favors Fury, although he still rates Joshua’s punching power highly.
“I think Fury wins, but not an easy win,” he said. “AJ’s a big puncher in the heavyweight division. I think he’s the biggest puncher in the heavyweight division. But the problem is in his mind.”
Kabayel also praised Joshua’s reunion with Ben Davison while making the point every trainer eventually has to accept.
“Ben Davison makes everything perfect for his boxers. He will support him. I think he’s a very good coach. But you are alone in the ring. You are the boxer. No coach can help you in the ring.”
Queensberry’s immediate problem is finding Kabayel a credible heavyweight who is actually free. Beat that man, and Kabayel keeps his place in line for the names he really wants
