Agit Kabayel’s manager, Spencer Brown, has proposed a voluntary WBC heavyweight title defense against Rico Verhoeven in Germany, suggesting the bout could fill a 50,000-seat stadium given Verhoeven’s massive Dutch fanbase and the proximity of the Netherlands to Germany.
Brown spoke to Playbook Boxing following Kabayel’s elevation to full WBC champion after Usyk vacated the belt.
Holland’s very close to Germany; it’s an hour away. Verhoeven would bring massive support, and I think that would fill 50,000 in Germany. It’s a sensible fight. I think Oleksandr Usyk won the fight fair and square, but I thought Verhoeven put up an unbelievable performance. I’d never seen anything like it.
Verhoeven, 37, built a slight lead on one judge’s scorecard through 10 rounds in his May fight with Usyk before being stopped in the 11th when referee Mark Lyson waved off the bout on his feet after the bell had sounded — a finish that fueled Verhoeven’s appeal and subsequent rematch demand. He entered the WBC rankings at number eight following the performance.
Kabayel, 33 and unbeaten, claimed the interim WBC title by stopping Zhilei Zhang in six rounds in February 2025 and most recently finished Damian Knyba in three rounds in Germany.
