Agit Kabayel’s first title defense as WBC world champion is taking shape. The heavyweight is set to fight in Oberhausen in late November—the only thing missing is his opponent.
Agit Kabayel’s first title defense as WBC world champion appears to be taking shape. According to current plans, the undefeated heavyweight is set to step into the ring on November 28 at the Rudolf Weber-ARENA in Oberhausen. However, it remains unclear against whom Kabayel will defend his title. For the 33-year-old, this would mark his second appearance in Oberhausen within a year. In January, Kabayel defeated Damian Knyba there in front of approximately 13,000 spectators. Since then, his situation has changed significantly: After Oleksandr Usyk relinquished his remaining world titles in June, the former interim champion was promoted to the regular WBC world champion. Kabayel remains undefeated after 27 professional fights.
His team had already announced plans to defend the title for the first time before the end of the year. At one point, a major stadium event in Düsseldorf was also under discussion. Now, however, there are strong indications that he will return to Oberhausen. There is still uncertainty surrounding the challenger. Most recently, Nelson Hysa had publicly put himself in the running for a world title fight against Kabayel. However, that option now appears to be off the table. According to promoter Frank Warren, Hysa has backed away from a potential matchup. An official confirmation of the event is also still pending. The publicly accessible calendar for the Rudolf Weber-ARENA does not currently list a boxing event for November 28. Should the date and venue be confirmed, one name in particular is still missing: Kabayel’s first challenger as WBC world champion.
Text by Robin Josten