Zhang Promises “Something New” In Stamina Battle Vs. Kabayel

Zhilei Zhang knows that his conditioning will be key in his battle against Agit Kabayel for the WBC interim heavyweight title this Saturday, February 22nd, in Riyadh. Zhang’s loss to Joseph Parker on March 8th last year resulted from his fading after three rounds.

Stamina Key

Kabayel (25-0, 17 KOs) will use the same defensive tactics that Parker did to tire out Zhang and then come on in the second half to take advantage of his fatigue. It could be over if Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs) catches Kabayel with one of his powerful counters. Even when the 6’6″ Zhilei is tired, his punches are still lethal.

We saw that in his fight against Parker. He was utterly exhausted when he dropped Parker in the eighth round with a punch that looked like a sledgehammer: no speed but pure power.

“I know in order to beat him, conditioning is a big part of it, and we worked really hard in the gym. I’ll bring something new,” said Zhilei Zhang to Pro Boxing Fans when asked about his stamina problems ahead of his fight against the unbeaten contender Agitl Kabayel this Saturday night.

“He’s fierce, young and hungry, and coming for the [WBC interim heavyweight] belt. I give him a lot of respect,” said Zhang when asked what he thinks of Kabayel.

“Both are great fighters and great human beings. Personally, I think Dubois will win,” said Zhilei when asked who wins the Daniel Dubois vs. Joseph Parker fight this Saturday.

It’s a no-brainer that IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) will defeat Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) in their co-feature fight this Saturday night in Riyadh. Dubois has too much firepower, youth, and momentum going into this fight.

“Who knows? If he wants to come back, the boxing world will always welcome him. If he wants to retire, let him enjoy his life,” said Zhang about whether he thinks Tyson Fury will come out of retirement.

Fury’s Fortune

If former WBC champion Fury does come back, it won’t be to fight the winner of the Zhang vs. Kabayel fight. The 36-year-old ‘Gypsy King’ Tyson would be coming back for the dough to add another $200 million to his existing $250 million fortune. It’s unreal how rich Fury is and how quickly he’s amassed his fortune since 2021.

If Fury works hard and shows some ambition, he could easily hit half a billion in net worth, perhaps as high as $600 million. He might even become the first billionaire if he stayed in the gym. He won’t, obviously, but in theory, he could if he had the motivation of the great robber barons of the past.