For the first time, the WBC has ordered world champion Oleksandr Usyk to defend his belt against Agit Kabayel. But it will probably be a while before that happens.
When will heavyweight star Agit Kabayel get his well-deserved world title fight? WBC boss Mauricio Sulaiman has declared that world champion Oleksandr Usyk will have to fight a mandatory bout against interim champion Kabayel after a voluntary title defense. The Ukrainian, who currently holds the WBC, WBA, IBF and “The Ring” belts, has requested a voluntary title defense from the WBC, Sulaiman told US journalist Chris Mannix. The association had complied with this “usual” request.
Absurd justification
Kabayel has been the reigning interim WBC world champion since his knockout victory over Zhilei Zhang in February last year. Since then, the 33-year-old from Bochum has been waiting for his world championship opportunity against Usyk. However, all of the “Leberking’s” efforts vis-à-vis the association have so far been unsuccessful. To stay active, Kabayel stepped into the ring against Poland’s Damian Knyba at the “Homecoming” in Oberhausen on January 10 and won early.
Why WBC boss Sulaiman allowed Usyk to make a voluntary title defense instead of making him mandatory remains a mystery. In this context, the Mexican’s explanation sounds downright absurd: “Agit Kabayel was not available because he had a fight in January.” Usyk is now planning a fight in the USA. US media recently speculated about a duel with former world champion Andy Ruiz. Highly questionable from a sporting perspective, especially as Ruiz hasn’t been in the ring since August 2024.
“This is the decision”
After all, Sulaiman ordered Usyk to put his WBC belt on the line after his voluntary title defense against interim champ Kabayel. “That’s the decision.” However, it can be assumed that the Ukrainian will not box again until the fall or winter. In this respect, Kabayel will have to see which fight he fights next in the spring. As Queensberry promoter Frank Warren recently revealed, the Leberking will also fight his next fight in front of a home crowd in Germany.
His promoter has promised him a stadium fight. Whether this will be against WBO world champion Frank Wardley, however, seems questionable. Wardley is already negotiating a fight against his compatriot Daniel Dubois. The “Battle of Britain” between the two is scheduled to take place on May 9 in Manchester. In this respect, a duel between Kabayel and Lawrence Okolie would be more likely again. The former cruiserweight world champion from England is ranked number one in the WBC rankings and was already being touted as a potential opponent for the German before Kabayel’s “homecoming”. In addition, both have the same promoter, Queensberry.
Text: Frank Schwantes