Heavyweight Feature: Zhilei Zhang vs Agit Kabayel ‘In Focus’

Kabayel hails from Germany and will have youth on his side against Zhang. Aged 32 and standing 6-foot-3, Kabayel has taken the European route to the upper echelons of the heavyweight division. His first 23 bouts, predominantly against European opposition, all took place in various locations across the world’s second-smallest continent. Within those bouts, Kabayel lifted the European heavyweight title twice and moved gradually up the rankings. His last two bouts, which he won as an underdog, took place in Saudi Arabia, and he returns on Saturday looking for a memorable hat-trick in the country.

The Big Bang Has Lit Up Boxing’s Heavyweight Division

An outstanding amateur, Zhang’s professional career didn’t begin until 2014. By this point, he was already past 30, but unfortunately, several out-of-the-ring problems, such as visa and legal issues, stalled his progress until UK promotional outfit Matchroom signed him in 2020.

From that point on, Zhang has boxed in more high-profile events and locations. He has made the most of the opportunity. Zhang’s first outing in Saudi Arabia saw him face Filip Hrgovic on the Oleksandr Usyk-Anthony Joshua rematch undercard in August 2022. Zhang was on the wrong side of a tight points loss on that occasion, with many observers thinking he had done enough to win.

Zhang then took on Joe Joyce twice in 2023. The bouts, which he won, handing Joyce the first defeats of his pro campaign in the process, revitalized Zhang and put him forward as a genuine threat to the established title holders. In the first bout, Zhang couldn’t miss Joyce with his jab and left hand, and the punishment was stopped in the sixth round with Joyce’s right eye in a terrible mess. It was a significant upset at the time.

Five months later Zhang and Joyce met again after Joyce activated the rematch clause. Zhang was even more dominant the second time around, knocking Joyce out in the third round with a monster right hook. Big Bang had delivered. He proved the first win against Joyce wasn’t an aberration, and his career was firmly back on track.

As mentioned already Zhang would lose to Joseph Parker – a narrow points decision – before beating Deontay Wilder in the two fights which followed his victories over Joyce. Although the title belts are currently tied up, and it looks like another undisputed fight may be on the cards at heavyweight later this year, Zhang just needs to keep winning to keep himself in the chasing pack of fighters.

The European Champion Reaches For World Glory

Also in the chasing pack is Kabayel. In the history of the heavyweight division, winning the European title hasn’t often led to world honours, but Kabayel is hoping his path will be similar to some of the past winners of the lightly regarded regional title – namely the Klitschko brothers, Lennox Lewis and Tyson Fury.

In order to join those big names, Kabayel needs to keep doing what he’s been doing: winning. In his first 23 bouts, from 2011-2023, Kabayel negotiated his way to victory, more often than not by knockout. His closest bouts during this period were a 2014 split decision victory over Gbenga Oluokun and a 2017 majority decision win over Derek Chisora. Kabayel also has a unanimous decision win over Kevin “Kingpin” Johnson on his record – going the distance with the Kingpin has been a rite of passage for so many heavyweights over the past 20 years.

Kabayel really saw his stock grow when he stopped impressive-looking prospect Arslanbek Makhmudov in December 2023 on another packed card in Riyadh. Kabayel made a mockery of his underdog status by flooring Makhmudov three times en route to a fourth round stoppage.

Another testing fight was next up for Kabayel. Unbeaten Cuban Frank Sanchez was a huge favourite when the pair met on the undercard of the first Usyk-Fury fight in May 2024. Kabayel’s tremendous movement and busy style were too much for Sanchez on the night. Kabayel was winning every round, but he managed to floor his foe twice in the seventh session. The second time saw the contest stopped. Kabayel had firmly announced himself as deserving of his place on the coattails of the heavyweight division’s big guns.

Styles & Tendencies of Zhang and Kabayel

Southpaw vs. Orthodox. Puncher vs. boxer. That’s the simple analysis. Post 2020, which is when Zhang acknowledges his pro campaign got started properly, Big Bang is 5-2-1. The five victories were all of the KO variety. The man is looking to knock opponents out.

A factor not to be overlooked is Zhang’s weight and fitness. He has, at times, come into fights looking a bit too bulky, and his stamina has suffered as a result. The Parker defeat is a good example of this as, weighing in at 291 pounds, Zhang, despite flooring Parker twice, couldn’t match his opponent’s work-rate and lost a tight majority decision on the cards. When he returned against Wilder, Zhang was 282 pounds, closer to his optimum weight. He better not be overly heavy for this fight, as Kabayel is a heavyweight who can move.

Typically weighing around 238 pounds, Kabayel can really move around the boxing ring. His nimble footwork and lateral movement make him difficult to pin down for opponents. When he is on the front foot, his skills in this department open up useful angles of attack. Kabayel mixes up head and body combinations – something Sanchez couldn’t get to grips with – and possesses a sharp jab, which he works behind diligently.

We have also seen Zhang operate as something of a counter puncher at times in his fights. It will be interesting to see if he lets Kabayel have some joy with head and body shots in order to create an opening for his ultra-powerful left. Zhang’s body will be a big target in this fight. Attacking it as often as he can would serve Kabayel well.

Final Thoughts and Prediction Time

On a card not short of tasty-looking fights, don’t ignore this offering, which is likely to take place fairly early. It’s a must-win for both, so therefore, it is must-see TV. One way or another, we are in for some artistic violence.

To make it even more enticing, it is a difficult one to call. Both men have weapons that will cause problems for the other, so anything could happen. On this occasion, I’m siding with the younger, more energetic fighter Kabayel, the boxer, to prevail over Zhang and his punching power by landing and moving enough to exhaust the big man. Avoiding Zhang’s power all night won’t be easy but expect Kabayel to be fully focused on that while doing enough in an attacking sense to win the contest by unanimous decision.