Wladimir Klitschko about to make a mega comeback? Bernd Bönte brings a German heavyweight spectacle against Agit Kabayel into play!
After his spectacular knockout victory over Zhilei Zhang, Agit Kabayel seems to have secured his next big world championship opportunity. But instead of a duel against Oleksandr Usyk, another, almost unbelievable rumor is now circulating: a fight against Wladimir Klitschko!
Although Kabayel’s victory over Zhang makes him interim WBC world champion, this does not automatically mean that he will fight Usyk next. On the contrary, there are indications that Usyk would prefer to fight Daniel Dubois next.
Boxing expert Bernd Bönte explains the dilemma to sport.de as follows: “The four major federations WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO have a rotation system that determines which challenger is next in line. However, when a unification fight is scheduled, all the federations normally refrain from insisting on a fight against their respective mandatory challenger, which should actually take place once a year.” Kabayel could therefore be put on hold as interim world champion.
Boxing legend as an alternative
But there is another possibility: If Usyk or Dubois renounce a title or a federation declares the belt vacant, the WBC could schedule a fight for the vacant title. And this is exactly where Bönte brings the spectacular idea into play: “Kabayel vs. Klitschko: Of course you can fill every stadium in Germany with that. You could box at Schalke or in Düsseldorf.” The fight would not only be a blockbuster, but would also have historical significance: Wladimir Klitschko will be 49 years old in March and would break George Foreman’s record as the oldest heavyweight champion in history by winning the title.
Klitschko has been toying with a comeback for some time and is said to have already been scheduled for a fight against Dubois. Turki Al-Sheikh in particular, the most powerful man in boxing, is said to be very interested in seeing the former champion in the ring once again. Kabayel himself would be willing to fight in Germany in a heartbeat: “I would bite the bullet and fight in Germany, even if I had to cut back on the money.”
Whether this will actually happen remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: a duel between Agit Kabayel and Wladimir Klitschko would be the most spectacular heavyweight fight on German soil for decades!
Text by Robin Josten