Usyk Vs Rico Verhoeven Accredited For WBC Title

Yet the sanctioning body has approved him as the next challenger.

This is not a debate about Verhoeven’s athletic credentials. In kickboxing, his achievements are historic. He held a version of the heavyweight championship for more than a decade and defended it repeatedly against elite competition. He has experience across combat sports. He is a serious heavyweight athlete with championship temperament. None of that is in question.

The question is whether those accomplishments transfer automatically into eligibility for a world title fight in boxing’s most traditional division.

Usyk, now 39, built his heavyweight position through defined steps inside the sport. He moved up from cruiserweight, defeated established contenders, and unified titles through high-level fights. His recent run included two victories over Tyson Fury in Riyadh before stopping Daniel Dubois inside five rounds to retain championship status. Those were fights against ranked heavyweights operating inside the boxing system.

Verhoeven enters from outside that system.

He has not boxed professionally in over a decade. He has not accumulated rounds against modern heavyweights. He has not navigated a ranking ladder. He has not fought 10- or 12-round contests under contemporary boxing conditions in years. The WBC has nonetheless deemed him a suitable challenger for its belt.

The event itself explains part of the equation. Branded “Glory in Giza,” the fight will take place in Egypt and stream globally on DAZN under the direction of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. The staging is ambitious. The location is historic. The commercial backing is substantial. This is designed as a destination spectacle, not a conventional title defense built through contender rotation.

That distinction is significant.

Heavyweight championships traditionally move through a queue of ranked challengers. Sanctioning bodies publish lists. Contenders position themselves through eliminators. Mandatory defenses are ordered. That structure has often been flexible in practice, but it still exists as a public framework. Approving a crossover challenger with one professional boxing bout effectively sidesteps that ladder.

There will be arguments in favor of the decision. Verhoeven is not an amateur stepping into the unknown. He is a long-reigning heavyweight champion in another combat sport, accustomed to pressure, media, and elite competition. Physically, he belongs in the division. Commercially, he broadens the audience. From an event perspective, the fight carries international appeal beyond standard contender matchups.

But sanctioning is not meant to reflect novelty or audience expansion. It is meant to reflect competitive order.

Usyk’s position also matters here. After unifying and defending against established names, he is no longer in a phase of proving himself. Champions at that level often operate with greater freedom in opponent selection. That reality has always existed in heavyweight boxing. Titleholders choose high-reward fights when the risk-to-reward calculation makes sense. A crossover opponent with limited boxing experience presents a different competitive profile than a ranked heavyweight contender with 25 or 30 professional bouts.

That shift does not automatically diminish the belt. It does, however, redefine the standard being applied in this moment.

The heavyweight title has long been treated as boxing’s symbolic center. Who is allowed to compete for it reflects how the sport balances competition and commerce. In this case, the balance has tilted clearly toward event architecture and global staging.

Verhoeven has earned his status in kickboxing. Usyk has earned his in boxing. On May 23, those worlds meet under championship rules. The fight may succeed as a spectacle. It may draw new eyes. It may even prove competitive.

Still, the fact remains that a man absent from professional boxing for twelve years has been approved to challenge for its most visible prize. It is a decision that tells you exactly how heavyweight title fights are being approved right now.