Zhilei Zhang gave Agit Kabayel a surprise gift during their press conference ahead of their WBC interim heavyweight title clash next month on February 22 in Riyadh.
The two-time Olympian walked up to Kabayel (25-0, 17 KOs) and handed him an envelope, which he opened to reveal a photo of the Chinese heavyweight. Zhilei said the gift was part of the Chinese New Year.
Predator’s mindset
Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs) and the undefeated Kabayel will square off on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 rematch in Riyadh fight. It’s obviously an important fight for both heavyweights, but it might mean a little more to the 41-year-old Zhang because of his age. He is running out of time to put himself in a position to win a world title against one of the two champions.
Last year, Zhang lost his WBO interim belt to Joseph Parker via a controversial 12-round majority decision on March 8 in Riyadh. The 291-lb Zhilei appeared headed for an early knockout after dropping Parker in the third round, but he ran out of gas after that.
Parker then dominated the second half of the fight, using his slick skills to win an ugly decision. Zhang also knocked Parker down in the eighth round, and seemed to have done enough to claim the victory. The judges gave it to Parker with scores of 114-112, 115-111 and 114-114.
“I’m not a big fan of being a snake. I want to be an eagle. When an eagle sees it’s prey, it’s going to grab it in the air and just drop it,” Zhang said during the press conference on how he plans to fight Kabayel.
A unique surprise gift from Zhang to Kabayel 😂🎁#TheLastCrescendo | February 22 | #Riyadh Season pic.twitter.com/tXUtmyD5Ml
— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) January 13, 2025
Zhilei Zhang the eagle 🦅#TheLastCrescendo | February 22 | #Riyadh Season pic.twitter.com/edOGvOMLqD
— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) January 13, 2025
