Agit Kabayel’s next move is suddenly wide-open, and his manager Spencer Brown is intent on seizing every option - from a German homecoming defence to an audacious bid for a Wladimir Klitschko blockbuster.
Fresh from February’s body-shot stoppage of Zhang Zhilei that earned him the WBC interim heavyweight title, Kabayel has notched pole-position as Oleksandr Usyk’s mandatory challenger. Yet Brown accepts that the undisputed champion is unlikely to grant the Bochum favourite a shot before 2026. “I think it won’t be this year, but definitely next year,” Brown told sport.de, adding that in boxing “you never really know what will happen.”
The immediate priority, Brown stressed, is activity. “Agit must get back in the ring as soon as possible,” he said, revealing plans for a September date “in Germany or Riyadh,” with England also an option. A bout on German soil, however, tops the wish-list. “Agit should box in Germany - that’s what we really want,” Brown insisted, floating unbeaten Albanian puncher Nelson Hysa as a possible challenger for Kabayel’s interim strap: “He thinks he can knock Agit out.”
Watch Kabayel vs. Zhang highlights: Watch
Usyk, meanwhile, has been ordered by the WBO to defend that belt against interim champion Joseph Parker. Should the Ukrainian vacate, Brown argues that a Kabayel-Usyk clash on German turf “would be a huge fight to bring boxing back to Germany,” noting the country’s sizeable Ukrainian community and the potential to fill football stadiums.
While former long-reigning WBC champion Deontay Wilder is another enticing name - “Great, though I’m not sure we’d get Wilder to Germany; maybe Saudi Arabia,” Brown said - the manager floated an even more sensational possibility: Wladimir Klitschko. “He has it in his mind; maybe he wants to fight again. He shouldn’t, but he’s thinking about it,” Brown revealed of the 49-year-old legend. “Can you imagine how many tickets Agit versus Klitschko would sell? It would be a huge fight - and it’s possible.” Brown plans to discuss the idea with Klitschko and long-time associate Tom Löffler in the coming days.
Beyond Kabayel, Brown is deepening his German footprint: towering Karlsruhe heavyweight Daniel Dietz (15-1, 14 KOs) has signed with his Goldstar Promotions outfit. But the main mission remains crystal-clear. “There are many fights out there for Agit,” Brown said. “Our goal is to keep him busy and bring a massive night of heavyweight boxing back to Germany - then chase that world-title shot when the time is right.”
Image Credit: The Ring