Agit Kabayel Drops Frank Sanchez Twice In 7th Round Knockout Of WBC Title Eliminator
Agit Kabayel once again rose to the occasion.
A competitive fight on paper turned into a showcase for the German contender in a seventh-round knockout of Frank Sanchez. The WBC heavyweight title eliminator saw Kabayel twice floor Cuba’s Sanchez. The second knockdown produced a full ten count to end the fight at 2:23 of the seventh round.
The matchup was by far the most competitive on paper among the nine undercard bouts Saturday evening at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Kabayel and Sanchez are both 31 years old and entered the ring with identical 24-0 records.
The first round was reflective of those statistics. Kabayel constantly charged forward but Sanchez landed the more telling blows. It was the extent of the good fortunes enjoyed by the Miami-based Cuban heavyweight.
Kabayel took over the fight from round two onward, particularly on the strength of body punching. Sanchez, who sported a brace on his right knee, struggled to get out of harm’s way or even get his offense untracked.
Round three continued that trend, though Sanchez found time to land a right uppercut. Kabayel shook off the blow and landed a right hand against a retreating Sanchez.
A hard conversation took place in the Sanchez corner after the fourth round. Head trainer Eddy Reynoso, best known for his work with four-division champ Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, attempted to motivate his charge. The pep talk didn’t take, as Sanchez was outhustled and outfought by Kabayel for the duration of the fight.
Kabayel intensified his body attack in the seventh round. A left hook downstairs set up a three-punch combination which forced Sanchez to squat down on the canvas.
Sanchez beat the count but was unable to fend off his hard-charging foe. Another left hook to the body forced Sanchez to back up, and a stab jab sent him back to the canvas. It was the last punch thrown in the fight as referee Victor Loughlin reached the count of ten.
Compubox credited Kabayel (25-0, 17 knockouts) with landing 110 of 276 total punches (39.9 percent). It considerably outpaced Sanchez (24-1, 17KOs), who connected on just 47-of-176 punches (26.7%).
Sanchez knocked out Junior Fa in the seventh round Junior Fa last December 23 in this very arena. The win preserved his place as The Ring’s No. 6-rated heavyweight. He was also the top-rated WBC contender and one win away from his career title fight.
That glory now belongs to Kabayel (25-0, 17KOs). The feat marked his second straight upset knockout, both at this venue. The Ring’s No. 10-rated heavyweight floored then-unbeaten Arslanbek Makhmudov three times in a fourth-round knockout. It came on the same show that housed Sanchez’s win over Fa.
Kabayel is now the mandatory challenger to the WBC heavyweight title. It will be a while before he gets a shot at the crown, however. Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs), No. 1 at heavyweight, will face RING, WBA, IBF and WBO champ Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) in the main event. A rematch is reportedly in store for October, regardless of the outcome.
Another option for Kabayel while he waits for his chance is Joseph Parker. The Ring’s No. 3-rated heavyweight and current interim WBO titlist was ringside and game for the future challenge. Kabayel seemed hesitant, though only citing their friendship as the reason. The right fight purse could change all that.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
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