World champion Agit Kabayel will defend his WBC title against Nelson Hysa on November 28. Instead of Oberhausen, the Merkur-Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf will host the heavyweight bout.
Agit Kabayel’s first title defense as WBC world champion is set. As DAZN has officially announced, the undefeated heavyweight will face Nelson Hysa on November 28. The fight will not take place in Oberhausen as originally planned, but instead in front of a large crowd at the Merkur-Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf. The arena has a capacity of around 50,000 spectators. The sports streaming service will broadcast the world championship event live on pay-per-view.
So it looks like the bout between Kabayel and Hysa will happen after all. For a while, it seemed as though the negotiations had fallen through for good. Kabayel had publicly stated that his potential challenger had canceled the fight. Shortly thereafter, however, Hysa spoke up himself, presented a contract signed by him, and called on the champion to sign it. Now both sides have reached an agreement.
“The chance of a lifetime”
“Even as a child, fighting for a world title in a stadium was my biggest dream,” Kabayel said. “This proves it: No matter where you come from—hard work makes dreams come true.” For the German heavyweight world champion with Kurdish roots, the bout in Düsseldorf marks a special milestone. After Oleksandr Usyk relinquished his remaining world championship belts, the former interim champion was promoted to full world champion by the WBC.
Kabayel will now defend his title for the first time against Hysa. The 42-year-old Albanian not only boasts an unblemished record in the ring, but can also count on a large fan base in Düsseldorf. Even before the fight, the mutual challenges had already generated a lot of attention in the boxing community. “After a difficult search for an opponent, Nelson now has the chance of a lifetime,” explained Kabayel’s manager, Lasse Krüger. “At the same time, we’ll be providing a big stage for German talent on the undercard to—with Agit’s world championship fight as the absolute highlight—revitalize German boxing step by step.”
Anticipation for a “Magical Heavyweight Night”
Agit Kabayel himself steps into the ring with 27 wins in as many professional fights. Most recently, the Bochum native defeated Damian Knyba in January at the “Homecoming” event in Oberhausen. Now his return is set to be even bigger: Instead of an arena, Germany’s biggest boxing star will take the XXL stage in Düsseldorf.
“Heavyweight history has already been made at the Düsseldorf stadium. Wladimir Klitschko fought three world title bouts there,” says Bernd Bönte, longtime manager of the Klitschkos and DAZN expert, highlighting the venue’s unique significance. “Now Agit Kabayel is taking the stage as the first German heavyweight world champion since Max Schmeling. The fact that Agit is defending his world title for the first time in this very arena brings things full circle. Agit has the skill and charisma to make the stadium shake once again. Boxing fans can look forward to a magical night of heavyweight action.”
Text: Robin Josten & Frank Schwantes