FEBRUARY 22, 2025
TV: DAZN
THIS WILL BE THE WBC’S 2, 235 CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE FIGHT IN THE SIXTY-TWO YEAR HISTORY OF THE WBC
FRANK WARREN & QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS, PRESENTS:
AGIY KABAYEL (GERMANY)
WBC no. 1
Nationality: Germany
Date of Birth: September 23, 1992
Birthplace: Leverkusen, Germany
Resides: Bochum, Germany
Alias:
Record: 25-0-0, 17 ko’s
KO’S: 68%
Age: 32
Guard: Orthodox
Total rounds: 125
Won Titles EBU/CONTINENTAL AMERICAS
Manager: Benedikt Poelchau
Promoter: Blanko Sports
ZHILEI ZHANG (CHINA)
WBC no. 2
Nationality: China
Date of Birth: May 2, 1983
Birthplace: Zhoukou, China
Resides in: Bloomfield, New Jersey
Alias: Big Bang
Record: 27-2-1, 22 ko’s
KO’S: 81.5%
Age: 41
Guard: Southpaw
Total rounds: 110
World Title fights: 1 (0-1-0)
Management: Maopei LI
Promoter: Queensberry Promotions
WBC´S HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
NAME PERIODO CHAMPION
- SONNY LISTON (US) (+) 1963 – 1964
- MUHAMMAD ALI (US) (+) 1964 – 1967
- JOE FRAZIER (US) (+) 1968 – 1973
- GEORGE FOREMAN (US) 1973 – 1974
- MUHAMMAD ALI (US) * 1974-1978
- LEON SPINKS (US) (+) 1978
- KEN NORTON (US) (+) 1977 – 1978
- LARRY HOLMES (US) 1978 – 1983
- TIM WITHERSPOON (US) 1984
- PINKLON THOMAS (US) 1984 – 1985
- TREVOR BERBICK (CAN) (+) 1986
- MIKE TYSON (US) 1986 – 1990
- JAMES DOUGLAS (US) 1990
- EVANDER HOLYFIELD (US) 1990 – 1992
- RIDDICK BOWE (US) 1992
- LENNOX LEWIS (GB) 1993 – 1994
- OLIVER MCCALL (US) 1994 – 1995
- FRANK BRUNO (GB) 1995 – 1996
- MIKE TYSON (US) * 1996
- LENNOX LEWIS (GB) * 1997 – 2001
- HASIM RAHMAN (US) 2001
- LENNOX LEWIS (GB) * 2001 – 2003
- VITALY KLITSCHKO (UKRAINE) 2004
- HASIM RAHMAN (US) * 2005 – 2006
- OLEG MASKAEV (KAZAKHSTAN) 2006 – 2008
- SAMUEL PETER (NIGERIA) 2007 (INTERIM) – 2008
- VITALY KLITSCHKO (UKRAINE) * 2008 – 2013
- BERMANE STIVERNE (CANADA/HAITI) 2014 – 2015
- DEONTAY WILDER (US) 2015 – 2020
- DILLIAN WHYTE (GB) INTERIM 2019 – 2020
- ALEXANDER POVETKIN (RUSSIA) INTERIM 2020 – 2021
- DILLIAN WHYTE (GB) INTERIM * 2020 – 2022
- TYSON FURY (GB) 2020 – 2024
- OLEKSANDR USYK (UKRAINE) 2024 –
* REGAINED
WBC´S HEAVYWEIGHT TOP TEN CHAMPIONS
- MUHAMMAD ALI (US)
- MIKE TYSON (US)
- LENNOX LEWIS (GB)
- LARRY HOLMES (US)
- EVANDER HOLYFIELD (US)
- GEORGE FOREMAN (US)
- JOE FRAZIER (US)
- VITALY KLITSCHKO (UKRAINE)
- SONNY LISTON (US)
- KEN NORTON (US)
GENERAL INFORMATION OF THE HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION IN THE ENTIRE WBC HISTORY
27 WORLD CHAMPIONS RECOGNIZED BY THE WBC
OF WHICH ONLY 6 HAVE REGAINED THEIR TITLE:
MUHAMMAD ALI (US) / MIKE TYSON (US) / LENNOX LEWIS (GB) / HASIM RAHMAN (US)
VITALY KLITSCHKO (UKRAINE) / DILLIAN WHYTE (GB)
133 HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE FIGHTS IN 19 COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN HELD IN THE HISTORY OF THE WBC
THIS IS THE FOURTH HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN SAUDI ARABIA IN THE WBC HISTORY
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BOUTS BY COUNTRY IN WBC HISTORY
USA 94
ENGLAND 10
GERMANY 8
JAPAN 3
SAUDI ARABIA 3
RUSSIA 2
WALES 1
ZAIRE 1
VENEZUELA 1
SWITZERLAND 1
SOUTH AFRICA 1
PUERTO RICO 1
POLAND 1
PHILIPPINES 1
MEXICO 1
MALASYA 1
JAMAICA 1
GIBRALTAR 1
CANADA 1
TOTAL 133
WBC TITLE BOUTS HELD IN SAUDI ARABIA
17 BOUTS HAVE BEEN HELD IN SAUDI ARABIA IN THE ENTIRE WBC HISTORY
22/02/2025 ARTUR BETERBIEV – DMITRII BIVOL _______ RIYADH LH
22/02/2025 CARLOS ADAMES– HAMZAH SHEERZ _______ RIYADH MI
22/02/2025 SHAKUR STEVENSON– FLOYD SCHOFIELD _______ RIYADH LI
21/12/2024 OLEKSANDR USYK (WBA/IBF/WBO) – TYSON FURY UD 12 RIYADH HE
16/11/2024 WILLIAM ZEPEDA – TEVIN FARMER SD 10 RIYADH, LI
12/10/2024 ARTUR BETERBIEV – DMITRII BIVOL MD 12 RIYADH LH
01/06/2024 WILLY HUTCHINSON – CRAIG RICHARDS (SILVER) UDE 12 RIYADH LH
01/06/2024 HAMZAH SHEERAZ – AUSTIN WILLIAMS (SILVER) TKO 11 RIYADH MI
18/05/2024 OLEKSANDR USYK (WBA/IBF/WBO) – TYSON FURY SD 12 RIYADH HE
18/05/2024 AGIT KABAYEL – FRANK SANCHEZ (ELIM.) KO 7 RIYADH HE
18/05/2024 MARK CHAMBERLAIN – JOSHUA OLUWASEUN WAHAB KO 1 RIYADH LI
08/03/2024 REY VARGAS – NICK BALL (MANDATORY) DREW 12 RIYADH FE
28/10/2023 TYSON FURY – FRANCIS NGANNOU SD 10 RIYADH HE
26/02/2023 BADOU JACK – ILUNGA MAKABU (VOL.) TKO 12 DIRIYAH CR
20/08/2022 CALLUM SMTH – MATHIEU BAUDERLIQUE KO 4 JEDDAH LH
12/07/2019 LERATO DLAMINI – DAVE PEÑALOSA (SILVER) UD 12 JEDDAH FE
28/09/2018 CALLUM SMITH – GEORGE GROVES (DIAMOND) KO 7 JEDDAH SM
THIS WILL BE THE 5th. WBC HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BOUT CELEBRATED IN SAUDI ARABIA IN ALL WBC HISTORY.
BREAKDOWN BY DIVISION:
HEAVY 4
LIGHT HEAVY 4
LIGHT 3
MIDDLE 2
FEATHER 2
CRUISER 1
SUPERMIDDLE 1
TOTAL BOUTS 17
WBC HEAVYWEIGHT MEMORABLES FIGHTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE WBC
21/05/1966 MUHAMMAD ALI – HENRY COOPER TKO 6 LONDON
10/12/1968 JOE FRAZIER – OSCAR BONAVENA DEC 15 PHILADELPHIA.
08/03/1971 JOE FRAZIER – MUHAMMAD ALI DEC 15 NEW YORK
30/10/1974 MUHAMMAD ALI – GEORGE FOREMAN KO 8 KINSHASA
01/10/1975 MUHAMMAD ALI – JOE FRAZIER TKO 15 MANILA
09/06/1978 LARRY HOLMES – KEN NORTON DEC 15 LAS VEGAS
28/09/1979 LARRY HOMES – EARNIE SHAVERS TKO 11 LAS VEGAS
02/10/1980 LARRY HOLMES – MUHAMMAD ALI TKO 11 LAS VEGAS
11/04/1981 LARRY HOLMES – TREVOR BERBICK DEC 15 LAS VEGAS
22/03/1986 TREVOR BERBICK – PINKLON THOMAS DEC 12 LAS VEGAS
11/02/1990 JAMES DOUGLAS – MIKE TYSON KO 10 TOKYO
18/03/1991 MIKE TYSON – DONOVAN RUDDOCK (ELIM.) TKO 7 LAS VEGAS
08/05/1993 LENNOX LEWIS – TONY TUCKER DEC 12 LAS VEGAS
02/09/1995 FRANK BRUNO – OLIVER MCCALL DEC 12 LONDON
19/03/1999 LENNOX LEWIS – EVANDER HOLYFIELD DRAW 12 NEW YORK
22/04/2001 HASIM RAHMAN – LENNOX LEWIS KO 5 BRAKPAN
17/11/2001 LENNOX LEWIS – HASIM RAHMAN KO 4 LAS VEGAS
08/06/2002 LENNOX LEWIS – MIKE TYSON KO 8 MEMPHIS
21/06/2003 LENNOX LEWIS – VITALI KLITSCHKO TKO 6 LOS ANGELES
24/04/2004 VITALI KLITSCHKO – CORRIE SANDERS KO 8 LOS ANGELES
18/03/2006 HASIM RAHMAN – JAMES TONEY DREW 12 ATLANTIC CITY
08/03/2008 SAMUEL PETER – OLEG MASKAEV TKO 6 CANCUN
11/10/2008 VITALI KLITSCHKO – SAMUEL PETER TKO 9 BERLIN
17/01/2015 DEONTAY WILDER – BERMANE STIVERNE UD 12 LAS VEGAS
16/01/2016 DEONTAY WILDER – ARTUR SZPILKA KO 9 BROOKLYN
03/03/2018 DEONTAY WILDER – LUIS ORTIZ TKO 10 BROOKLYN
09/10/2021 TYSON FURY – DEONTAY WILDER KO 11 LAS VEGAS
21/12/2024 OLEKSANDR USYK – TYSON FURY UD 12 RIYADH
Kabayel vs Zhang
Riyadh Season will host a historic night of boxing on February 22, featuring world champions from around the world and five fights for the prestigious Green and Gold WBC title. “The Last Crescendo” promises to be an unforgettable show.
Headlining the event, Artur Beterbiev and Dimitri Bivol will face off for the undisputed light heavyweight championship in a highly anticipated rematch.
As part of the card, the interim WBC heavyweight title will be contested between China’s Zhilei Zhang, 27-2-1 (22 KOs), and Germany’s Agit Kabayel, who is 25-0 (17 KOs).
Zhang was previously the interim WBO champion but lost to New Zealander Joseph Parker. Zhang bounced back to defeat former WBC world champion Deontay Wilder in his next fight in June. Kabayel, 32, 25-0 (17 KOs), has seen his stock rise over the past 12 months with shock wins over Arslanbek Makhmudov and Frank Sanchez.
The card packed with exciting fights will be broadcast live on http://dazn.com/wbc
