The biggest weekend in German boxing history will kick off on November 27. Agit Kabayel will defend his WBC world heavyweight title against unbeaten Albanian Nelson Hysa in Düsseldorf on November 28. Kabayel hopes to prove he is the top German boxer with a big win.

The weekend kicks off a day before that clash, when Germany will see two European heavyweight title fights at the Europa-Park Arena in Rust as part of the Symphony of the Ring event.

“German boxing is back, and Ringside Zone is leading it,” promoter Florian Winter said.

“When we started, people said big nights in German boxing were a thing of the past. Mannheim proved them wrong, and Symphony of the Ring goes even bigger: two European heavyweight title fights, a former world title challenger in Mike Perez, and the next generation of German heavyweights on one card. The whole boxing world is coming to Germany that weekend, and we're opening it in Rust. This is the night everyone will be talking about.”

Germany is home to a pack of interesting heavyweights at the moment, and Emanuel Odiase (12-0, 10 KOs) is one of them.

Odiase will make the first defense of his IBF European heavyweight title in the main event on November 27 against Cuba's Mike Perez (32-3-1, 22 KOs). Perez is a former WBC cruiserweight world title challenger who represents a big step up in class for Odiase. The Cuban has shared the ring with some of the best European fighters this century, including Alexander Povetkin and Mairis Briedis.

It will be the third fight for Odiase this year, after he scored a second-round knockout of Nick Webb at the SAP Arena in May to win his regional title. Last week, he was back in action with another second-round KO win against Luis Jose Marin Garcia in Latvia.

“Odiase is young, he's unbeaten and everyone in Germany is telling him he's the future,” said the veteran Perez in a media statement. “I've heard that about a lot of fighters. I've been in with world champions and I've been in the deep water, and he hasn't. I'm coming to Rust to take that belt and remind everyone what experience means in this sport.”

Labinot Xhoxhaj (22-0-1, 17 KOs) will defend his EBU European heavyweight title against Italian heavyweight champion Eduardo Giustini.

The first Albanian world champion?

I'm not sure why this one needs to be twelve rounds, but I'm also not sure why no fighter of Albanian heritage has won a major world title since Sammy Mandell a century ago.

Xhoxhaj has been European champion since November 2024. The other Albanian heavyweight, Nelson Hysa, has held the WBO European heavyweight title since July 2024. If any Albanian heavyweight is known to the casual boxing fan, it's Kristian Prenga, who dropped Anthony Joshua twice in the first round in July.

It is surprising that no fighter of Albanian heritage, whether born in Albania, North Macedonia, or in Xhoxhaj's case, Kosovo, has won one of boxing's four major world titles in the modern era. It's been a long gap since Sammy Mandell, an American-born fighter of Italian and Albanian descent, held the world lightweight championship from 1926 to 1930.

Hysa will have the opportunity to write his own chapter in the history books when he faces Kabayel the following night, which also happens to be Albanian Independence Day.

For Xhoxhaj, the immediate priority is retaining his European championship and moving closer to a world title opportunity.

“I've been European champion for two years and nobody has found a way to beat me. Giustini is a proud champion and he'll come to fight, but this is my title and my division. After this defense, I want the big names, and I'll show everyone in Rust why they need to be talking about me,” he said in a media statement.