All-rounder against elemental force: Agit Kabayel and Zhilei Zhang, two heavyweights who have been underestimated for years, meet on February 22. Their duel is for the interim WBC title – and a chance at the “real” limit crown. BOXSPORT checks out the fighters and tells you who has the better cards.
Joe Joyce, Arslanbek Makhmudov, Deontay Wilder, Frank Sanchez – in the last two years, Agit Kabayel and Zhilei Zhang have made quite a few dents in the careers of many stars and up-and-coming contenders. Both know what it’s like to go into a fight as the underdog. And both know how important a victory in their clash in Riyadh is for their careers. That is why both the German and the Chinese fighter, who is nine years older, will not take the fight on the undercard of Bivol vs. Beterbiev II lightly and will try to play to their strengths.
Experience
Both boxers had the problem in the past that they often did not get adequate fights. Kabayel secured the title as European heavyweight champion in 2017. His first title defense against Derek Chisora – a points victory (Majority Decision) in which he impressed with a precise jab and good footwork – was a first career best and earned him a lot of recognition, but for a long time the big chances failed to materialize. In his last two fights, he outclassed two highly rated contenders, Arslanbek Makhmudov and Frank Sanchez, whom he first dominated and then knocked out.
Zhilei Zhang’s career is divided into phases of light and shadow. As an amateur, he won silver at the 2008 Olympic Games, but in 2012 he lost in the quarter-finals to the eventual winner Anthony Joshua. After Zhang turned professional in 2014, he boxed almost only lower-class fights before he was given an eliminator against Filip Hrgovic in 2022 as number 13 in the IBF world rankings because other candidates turned down in droves.
In his last five fights, the southpaw boxed exclusively world-class fighters, winning three times. His defeats were not a one-sided event: after Hrgovic visibly had difficulties with the Chinese fighter, many experts saw the Croatian’s points victory as a gift. Joseph Parker was technically better and much more active in his well-deserved points victory over “Big Bang”, but had to go into the ring dust twice on the road to victory. Conversely, Zhang benefited from his opponent’s weaknesses in his big victories. In both defeats against the Chinese fighter, Joe Joyce hardly showed any avoidance movements with his head and ate up the full force of Zhang’s punches – a very bad idea against an opponent with so much power. And the technically limited, but powerful former WBC champion Deontay Wilder was unfortunately on his lowest form in June 2024.
Fighting style
Agit Kabayel is a versatile heavyweight who can engage with his opponents. He is technically competent against powerful fighters like Chisora and does not recklessly look for the knockout. However, the young man from the Ruhr region is also good at it, with his hooks to the body being his most dangerous weapon, with which he has already knocked out many opponents. This is one of the reasons for his nickname “Liver King”. He also has a high ring IQ and a good eye, which he uses to recognize gaps in his opponents’ cover and exploit them mercilessly.
Zhilei Zhang relies above all on his punching power, which has rightly earned him the name “Big Bang”. The 1.98 meter tall fighter has one of the lowest workrates in the heavyweight division – but when he strikes, he makes sure his punches count. Zhang waits for his chance behind a solid double guard and is a good counter-boxer. His hands are fast, but above all there is always plenty of steam in his fists, even if he doesn’t load up his punches.
Endurance
Kabayel definitely has the edge here. The undefeated heavyweight from Bochum is not dependent on a knockout victory, but has already gone the championship distance of twelve rounds four times in his professional career – each time winning on points.
Zhang only went the full distance with Hrgovic and Parker – both times he lost. At 41, he is one of the older guys in professional boxing, which is also reflected in his physical condition. He often falters after the sixth round because he runs out of energy. On the other hand, the Chinese fighter has the ability to take a punch and in the Wilder fight he was able to absorb one of the former champ’s feared right hands.
Tactics
Due to his physical weaknesses, Zhang tries to finish his fights quickly, but he is still very dangerous in the second half, as Joseph Parker discovered when he was knocked down in round eight. The fighter from Zhoukou (Henan province) is like a steamroller: calm but unstoppable, he tries to roll over his opponents, his hands being much faster than his legs.
Kabayel, on the other hand, has a much broader base. With his trainer Sükrü Aksü, he prepares himself precisely for his opponents and has always had the right recipe at the ready. Although he ultimately sent Makhmudov and Sanchez to the ring dust, he also read these opponents carefully and recognized their weaknesses before going for the knockout. Kabayel will probably not get involved in an early firefight with “Big Bang”, but rather let the Chinese boxer tire himself out first.
Kabayel vs. Zhang: Conclusion
The Parker fight is regarded as a patent recipe for a fight against Zhang, in which stamina and technique triumphed over punching power. Kabayel knows this – but so does Zhang, who will probably try to make things clear quickly, especially as he is still dangerous in the later rounds. However, Kabayel’s youth and ring IQ will probably prevail. BOXSPORT is betting on a points win or knockout triumph in the second half of the fight for the German.
Text by Nils Bothmann