Rico Verhoeven has taken on heavyweight boxing’s toughest challenge, a fight with Oleksandr Usyk, and he’s looking to achieve it as he transitions from another sport.
Dutchman Verhoeven is one of the world’s leading heavyweight kickboxers and has dominated Glory Promotions for over a decade. However, he has only had one boxing match so far and is scheduled to challenge Usyk for the Ukrainian’s WBC title on May 23rd.
ONE Championship bantamweight world titlist Jonathan Haggerty is a British kickboxing superstar. He believes Verhoeven deserves a chance to face Usyk, even if the odds are against the Dutchman.
Haggerty said of the crossover match, “This is something I want to do. It’s good to see other people doing it.”
“He’s been an undefeated champion for years. He’s just a beast. He gets in there and smashes people, no matter how long he’s been at the top. It’s natural for him to give Usyk a shot. It would be great. As long as he doesn’t have the kicks, Usyk might be okay,” Haggerty told Sky Sports.
“I don’t think he really has a chance. There’s a reason why Usyk is the best in the world.”
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Remember back in 2015 when Verhoeven sparred with Tyson Fury in the run-up to his victory over Wladimir Klitschko?
Verhoeven is working with professional boxing trainer Peter Fury, whom he has known for many years.
“He’s in good condition, so we’ll have to wait and see,” Hagerty said. “Usyk just has to move because he’s a unit.
“That’s my advice: stick around and make yourself uncomfortable.”
Verhoeven is younger and Usyk, 39, is in the final stages of his career. The burly Dutchman will have to look to show his physicality in this fight.
“It’s going to be an interesting fight because he’s a big man,” former WBO cruiserweight titlist Chris Billam-Smith told Sky Sports.
“These are two different sports and I would be surprised if Usyk didn’t beat him easily.”
He added: “I’ve been in professional boxing for almost nine years and it’s just boxing, right? It’s a story that only boxing can give you. It’s wild and I’m sure a lot of people will be watching. It’s going to be an interesting fight.”
Having defeated Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois, Usyk has all the tools to defeat the bigger man.
Richie Woodhall, a former world champion and current boxing coach and commentator, explained Usyk’s characteristics.
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Frank Warren reveals whether Fabio Wardley or Daniel Dubois will fight Usyk
“He’s the best front-foot counter-puncher I’ve seen in a long time. When you talk about counter-punchers, obviously a lot of people think of making the opponent miss on the back foot and then obviously countering and scoring. But with Usyk, when you watch him boxing, he counter-punches on the front foot so he’s coming forward a lot of the time,” Woodhall told Sky Sports.
“His movement is incredible. You never see him on the ropes or in the corner. His movement is always in a circle around the opponent and that’s really good training. So he always holds the center of the ring and is a bull to the matador situation in terms of facing much bigger and taller opponents. His movement, he’s not giving in. He’s still moving and moving around the opponent.”
“That’s what makes him so unique. But his ability to counterpunch on the front foot, I haven’t seen a better player in years. He’s a one-in-a-million player.”
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Verhoeven shows off his speed ahead of his title fight against Usyk. Photo from @ricoverhoeven
“Like water”
Amir Khan, a former two-division world champion known for his lightning speed, has watched Usyk perform in training camp.
He praised the Ukrainians’ hand-eye coordination. “It’s completely different. The way he moves is like a lightweight, the way he throws punches is like water. It’s so easy and smooth,” Khan told Sky Sports.
Usyk’s training method is unusual. “It’s completely different. He does things that are very different. He does footwork drills, and then he catches coins, and then he does wall drills, and vision drills, all of those things definitely make a difference. Since he retired, I’ve probably learned more about why these things are good,” Khan said. “He has a good team around him that will focus on the mental side first and then the physical side.
“When we were training, I never enjoyed it. I never enjoyed it before because I found it very difficult and it’s hard to move my body at that pace. But with Usyk, he seems to enjoy it. He enjoys training and everything else.”
He can dismantle opponents, even those with a significant size advantage.
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Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis advised Usyk to retire ‘on top’ if he decides to step away from the ring.
“I watched him spar. He looked bored, but guess what, he still tags you, hits you, catches you with shots, and he just kills your confidence and ruins the way you fight. That’s what makes him a great fighter. He knows how to break down fighters,” Khan said.
“Some might be confident, some might be strong. He knows how to break any fighter and the guy is the best. It was amazing to watch him, seeing how easy and smooth he was training.”
“Of all the fighters he has beaten, I would have to say he is one of the best heavyweights we have ever fought, considering how well he has been the last few fights.”
