Kabayel Retains WBC Interim Title with 3rd-Round TKO

Agit Kabayel retained his WBC interim heavyweight title with a third-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Damian Knyba on Saturday night at the Rudolf Weber Arena in Oberhausen, Germany, before a sold-out crowd of around 13,000 that chanted the name of unified champion Oleksandr Usyk in anticipation of a potential showdown.

The 33-year-old German fighter, now 27-0 with 19 knockouts, faced an early test from the 6-foot-7 Polish challenger, who used his height and reach to land heavy uppercuts in the opening round, opening a cut under Kabayel's right eye. Kabayel, at 6-foot-3, absorbed the pressure and adjusted quickly, increasing his output with precise body shots and right hands in the second round to close the distance. By the third, Knyba, 17-1 with 11 knockouts after the loss, showed signs of fatigue as Kabayel targeted the body and head, opening a cut over Knyba's left eye. With Knyba staggering and unable to respond effectively along the ropes, referee Mark Lyson intervened at 2:36 to halt the bout and prevent further damage.

In the post-fight press conference, Kabayel made a direct appeal for a mandatory title challenge against Usyk, the Ukrainian who holds the full WBC...