Agit Kabayel can hope for a big world championship fight in front of a home crowd. Boxing mogul Turki Al-Sheikh is apparently planning a duel with Usyk in Germany.
Saudi Arabia’s boxing offensive could reach Germany this year. The focus is on a possible world championship fight between Agit Kabayel and heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk. After months of waiting, there is new movement: Turki Al-Sheikh, the powerful string-puller of the Saudi boxing project, is said to want to talk about a duel with Kabayel in Germany after Usyk’s fight against Rico Verhoeven.
For Kabayel, it would be the chance of a lifetime. The WBC interim world champion has boxed himself into the mandatory position with strong victories and has been waiting for his title fight for some time. Usyk had not yet included the German in his career plan, but the pressure from the WBC and the money from Saudi Arabia could change the situation.
A large stadium in Germany is considered a possible venue, with Düsseldorf in particular being discussed. This is where Wladimir Klitschko lost to Tyson Fury in front of 55,000 fans in 2015. A Kabayel fight could even surpass this crowd and set a new attendance record for boxing in Germany.
For Al-Sheikh, such an event would be the next big coup. While Saudi Arabia is reviewing its investment in sport in other areas, boxing clearly remains a prestige project for the sheikhs. After shows in Riyadh, London and New York, Germany could now become the stage – with Kabayel as a domestic hopeful and Usyk as a global superstar.
Text by Robin Josten