Something has happened in the heavyweight division without a single fist being thrown. Oleksandr Usyk voluntarily gave up the WBO belt and is now “only” world champion at WBC, WBA and IBF. As WBC interim champion, Germany’s boxing star Agit Kabayel is the heavyweight king’s first challenger and says: I am the best opponent for Usyk.
“I will remain humble, but I think people are now saying that Kabayel is the best fight (for Usyk, editor’s note),” said the 33-year-old on “Sky Sports”.
After his victory over Zhang Zhilei, many people only understood “what the Kabayel level is.”
Kabayel knocked out the Chinese colossus in Riyadh in February with a liver hook in the sixth round and captured the title as interim WBC world champion. As such, the “Leberking” from Bochum is Usyk’s mandatory challenger for the world association from Mexico.
Video: Kabayel announcement: “Compete with the best in the world!”
In the so-called “rotation system” of the major associations WBA, WBA, WBO and IBF, the German is next in line to challenge the champion of all classes.
Boxing: “The Kabayel era has begun”
Usyk should have initially defended his WBO title against the British Fabio Wardley, but voluntarily gave up the belt. The WBO then upgraded the previous interim champion Wardley to a full world champion.
Kabayel doubts that the WBC will take a similar approach. He doesn’t know “whether the WBC will be strictly behind it, will declare mandatory status (i.e. commit Usyk to a fight against Kabayel, d.Red) and will put pressure on it,” he said when asked sport.de.
In any case, Kabayel is currently focusing on his “homecoming” fight in Oberhausen on January 10th: In Oberhausen, the man from Wattenscheid is defending his WBC interim title against the Polish giant Damian Knyba.
“That’s my dream – I’m bringing boxing back to Germany,” said Kabayel on Sky Sports. “The Kabayel era has begun.”
If the two-time European champion wins against Knyba, Kabayel sees himself in a good position for a world championship fight against Usyk, not only because of his WBC status.
“We also have a big market in Germany. I think if I fight against the biggest name, we’ll go to a stadium. I think if Usyk’s team understands that, he’ll say afterwards: Let’s go Kabayel, I’ll fight you.”
Kabayel emphasized: “I say: Kabayel against Usyk – let’s do it. He has never lost in his career, I have never lost in my career. I think this is the best fight for the fans.”