Agit Kabayel hopes to defend his WBC heavyweight world title in front of more than 50,000 home fans later this year.
Germany’s Kabayel (27-0, 19 KOs) is set to put his championship on the line for the first time against the unbeaten Albanian, Nelson Hysa, in a DAZN headliner on Nov. 28 at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, sources close to the situation told Uncrowned. The venue can accommodate more than 50,000 spectators.
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After establishing himself on the world stage, Kabayel returned to Germany in January to defend his WBC interim belt against Damian Knyba. He sold out the 12,000-capacity Rudolf Weber-Arena in just a few days, giving his co-promoters, Frank Warren’s Queensberry and Spencer Brown’s Goldstar, the confidence to move Kabayel to a stadium show, especially since he was upgraded to full champion in June after Oleksandr Usyk vacated his belts.
Hysa (25-0, 23 KOs), 42, will get his first and likely only chance at a world heavyweight title on Albanian Independence Day. The popular fighter has compiled an impressive 19-fight knockout streak against low-level opposition, which has propelled him into a title shot.
Hysa stopped Thomas Narmo in two rounds this past August on the undercard of Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic. With more than 300,000 Albanians thought to reside in Germany and it being a short flight, Hysa is expected to have strong support.
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The event is a major test for Kabayel — not inside the ring, where he will be a heavy favorite, but outside, where spectators will be sitting. Whether he can draw a big crowd to the Merkur Spiel-Arena will ultimately determine if he can bring heavyweight title unification fights back to Germany in 2027.
Germany was a major player in the sport in the 2000s and early 2010s, with the Klitschko brothers combining for more than 20 heavyweight title fights in the country. Queensberry and Goldstar hope Kabayel will be the fighter to revive the once-lucrative market.
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