New manager, new opponent, new title fight – Agit Kabayel has made some changes! BOXSPORT explains exactly what’s behind it all. And looks ahead to the German “Liver King’s” next fight on February 22 in Saudi Arabia.
The Great Wall of China is a huge structure that took an impressive two thousand years to build. Zhilei Zhang may not be quite that old, but the 41-year-old “Great Wall” from China is a respectable age for a professional boxer. His next opponent on February 22, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: German boxing hope Agit Kabayel, around nine years younger. But Zhang’s advanced boxing age will be no reason for Kabayel to underestimate him.
Spencer Brown, Agit Kabayel’s new manager, knows this too: “Zhang has this equalizer with which he can knock anyone out. He’s got a fierce left hand,” the Brit pays tribute to the right-hander in an interview with sport.de. However, “Zhang is 41, at that age everyone gets tired at this level”. The Chinese ring veteran is a “big, strong man”, but he starts to fade after six rounds, Brown recalls of his points defeat to Joseph Parker in the spring. In the duel with the former WBO world champion, Zhang’s condition deteriorated in the second half, even though he sent his opponent to the floor in the last round. The judges saw the more active Parker ahead on balance.
Spencer Brown: “He’s a nightmare for everyone!”
The fact that Brown, who also markets superstar Tyson Fury at his management company “Gold Star Promotions and Events”, took the “boy from the pot” under his wing surprised many. “He has something special. He’s not a huge heavyweight. But Agit chops his opponents down, breaks their hearts, he’s a relentless puncher and has a chin of iron,” enthuses the string-puller about the German shooting star. “He is currently one of the best heavyweights, an exceptional boxer. Agit is tough, has stamina, he’s a nightmare for anyone. And he comes from a Rocky-style background, where they work their way up from nothing.”
Despite his successes, Kabayel is hardly noticed by the public in Germany. This surprises Brown: “Dear Germans, you have a champion here who you should be supporting in a big way.” And if Germany would finally accept Kabayel, “he could even bring German boxing back to where it belongs. It was once a huge thing”. Agit Kabayel himself is happy about the deal with the excellently networked manager, who is considered an important confidant of Saudi boxing impresario Turki Al-Sheikh. “I’m glad that I now have someone who takes care of the business so that I can concentrate fully on the sport,” emphasized “Germany’s Boxer of the Year 2023” to sport.de.
Bakole fight falls through – Kabayel wants a real World Cup
Kabayel was originally due to fight Martin Bakole in an IBF final eliminator next. However, after the purse bid scheduled by the federation was postponed several times, the world championship elimination fight finally fell through a few weeks ago. “It wasn’t me, just so the fans know,” Kabayel emphasized via Instagram. “I’ve never avoided a fight.” In the end, it wasn’t enough because “there was too much stubbornness on Bakole’s part and he wanted too much money”, the German “liver king” was annoyed. According to reports, the Congolese demanded at least 2.5 million dollars for a duel against the German.
Kabayel is now riding on the coattails of the WBC, where he already had the status of official world championship challenger after his knockout victory over Cuban Frank Sanchez in May. He can renew this on February 22nd, so to speak, when he fights Zhang for the WBC “interim” world championship. “I’ll be honest: the interim world championship isn’t the right world championship for me yet,” admits the heavyweight from Bochum. “And that’s my big goal: to become world heavyweight champion.” Neither Agit Kabayel nor Spencer Brown want to waste any thoughts on a defeat against “Big Bang” Zhang (see below). “If he wins, Agit will be very close to the summit. That means he’ll be fighting for the title next year,” emphasized the manager. And let it slip that he is already negotiating with several promoters for Kabayel.
This is Kabayel’s opponent Zhilei Zhang
Agit Kabayel (1.91 meters, 108 kilos) faces the most daunting task of his boxing career against Chinese colossus Zhilei Zhang (1.98 meters, almost 130 kilos fighting weight). Initially little appreciated, the southpaw from the ten-million-strong metropolis of Zhoukou has long been a regular in the top ten of the premier class. However, it took some time for Zhang’s career to really take off. As an amateur, the puncher was unable to win gold at either the Olympics or a world championship. His greatest success: silver at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Four years later, Zhang was defeated in the quarter-finals in London by Anthony Joshua – anything but a glorious national hero by Chinese standards.
In 2014, “Big Bang” Zhang turned professional and signed on with US promoter Dino Duva. Although the fighter from the Middle Kingdom remained unbeaten in his first 25 fights and won 19 times by knockout, the quality of his opponents was manageable. It was only when he switched to promoter Eddie Hearn that Zhang’s career as a prizefighter received a boost. Despite a few setbacks, Hearn got his protégé on track and Zhang recently impressed with knockout victories against ring greats such as Joe Joyce, whom he defeated twice, and Deontay Wilder.
Zhang boxes powerfully but patiently and waits for his chance. He is regarded as a solid boxer with a good punch who also has taker qualities. The fact that the 41-year-old fights as a southpaw could pose problems for Agit Kabayel. On the other hand, the man from Bochum can use this to his advantage. With his good footwork, he can keep Zhang busy and try to box him out. In addition, his leg position and jab open up the right side of his body in the right stance, leaving the liver open for strikes – an opportunity that the German “liver king” is likely to exploit.
Text by Frank Schwantes