Agit Kabayel believes he has a chance against heavyweight boxing world champion Alexander Usyk and is promoting a fight.
German boxing up-and-comer Agit Kabayel is apparently trying to generate interest in a title fight against Ukrainian heavyweight boxing world champion Alexander Usyk with a massive self-promotion campaign.
“I am Usyk’s most dangerous challenger,” said the interim champion of the World Boxing Council (WBC) from Bochum during a visit to the RTL editorial office in Cologne, “because I am a young, hungry man who came from nowhere and whose hunger has not yet been satisfied.”
Since his knockout victory in London against Britain’s Daniel Dubois, Usyk is once again considered the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion. Kabayel also won the WBC interim title last February by knockout against China’s Zhang Zhilei, thereby earning at least a theoretical claim to a title fight. However, just last week, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) scheduled a mandatory defense for its champion Usyk against New Zealander Joseph Parker.
Regardless of the ambitions of former British world champion Tyson Fury, Kabayel sees himself as Usyk’s next opponent. The Kurdish-born fighter is luring the world champion with sporting aspects rather than financial incentives.
Usyk fight in Germany?
Usyk knows that if a duel “with this boy,” as Kabayel described himself, were to take place, he would have to “go through fire.” Kabayel also promised, “I will test whether he can swim. I’ll drag him into deep water.”
The 32-year-old even sees opportunities for a fight against Usyk in a German arena such as Gelsenkirchen or Düsseldorf. “We have to wait and be patient. But a fight between Kabayel and Usyk would be a very, very interesting thing. We could sell out any stadium with this fight. I have huge support here, and there are many Ukrainians living in Germany,” Kabayel explained: “Why wouldn’t Usyk want to compete in front of his own fan base?”
Kabayel considers his hopes of winning the first world heavyweight title for a German boxer since Max Schmeling to be legitimate. Challenging Usyk “is my right: when you race cars, you want to come first and you’re not satisfied with second place.”
