Albanian boxer Granit Shala is aiming to become Germany’s next hope in the heavyweight category.
When Kabayel returns to the ring in Germany on January 10 in Oberhausen after an absence of almost three years, Shala will also box in front of around 13 spectators, in the biggest boxing event in Germany since the end of the Klitschko era.
While other heavyweight talents have passed up the opportunity to showcase themselves in front of such a large audience, the Munich-born boxer, with a record of 18 wins and one loss, is determined to make the most of his chance. In Oberhausen, he will face the strong Croatian Peter Milas, who has 19 wins and one loss in his career.
“Without Agiti, such an event would not have been possible in Germany at all. This is the perfect opportunity to show my skills. I am very grateful for this chance and will try to follow the same path.”
Shala, currently ranked 86th in the world, is now among the top 100 heavyweight boxers. An achievement that few would have predicted during his childhood. He has shown that the road to the ring has been anything but easy.
“As a child I was very overweight, over 100 kilograms by the age of 9. For this reason I was bullied at school. It was a very difficult period psychologically.”
Granite Shala
Boxing gave him confidence and motivation, but being overweight created difficulties there as well. His first experiences in competitions were not easy at all for him.
“When I first entered the German Championship, people laughed. I couldn’t even see my belt because my belly hung over it.”
However, despite the prejudices, Shala had a successful amateur career with around 80 matches, being declared German champion six times among youths and runner-up in the adult category.
In 2017, he turned professional. At the time, he weighed over 160 kilograms and consumed liters of iced tea and cola. With the help of his trainer, Agron Kurtishi, Shala radically changed his lifestyle, lost over 50 kilograms and began his steady climb up the rankings.
In April 2024, he suffered the first defeat of his professional career, in a duel for the prestigious EBU European title against Oleksandr Zakhozhyi. A difficult but decisive moment for his maturity as an athlete.
“It was a very difficult period. But it made me stronger. It’s these moments that make a champion.”
After this defeat, Shala came back strong, winning his next three matches, including against the undefeated Daniel Dietz. Now, he aims to continue his climb up the rankings with a victory over perhaps the strongest opponent of his career, hoping that Oberhausen will be the scene of his next step towards the top.Telegraph