Verhoeven is 36 years old, stands 6ft 5in, weighs around 269 pounds, and built his name in kickboxing. He ran off 26 straight wins in Glory and held their heavyweight title for years. Fourteen title victories. A long reign built on conditioning, knees, and combinations thrown with shin guards in mind. None of that transfers neatly into a twelve-round championship fight scored by boxing judges who look for clean punching, ring generalship, and effective aggression.
He has one boxing win. One. Against Janos Finfera, who had never won a fight. That is the full professional boxing résumé being placed across the ring from Oleksandr Usyk.
Peter Fury insists there will be no embarrassment.
“People need to get behind this fight, because I can tell you now: I’m certainly not going to turn up on the world stage [and] embarrass myself, and embarrass my fighter.”
He doubled down.
“My fighter’s a serious fighter, so this will be a great fight. Trust me. Usyk’s an incredible champion. I respect him as a fighter, a boxer, and I respect him as a human being.”
And then the closer.
“And I respect Rico. So I’m going to do my job, and I’m going to enjoy it, and whatever the outcome is, it is.”
That is measured talk, and it has to be. Anyone who truly understands how elite Usyk is knows what waits across the ring. His footwork shifts angles by inches, his feints draw reactions before punches even leave his shoulder, and his jab dictates the pace of the round. When you are sending a kickboxing champion in to solve that, you keep your voice steady. You cannot sell panic.
One sanctioned defense, one pro boxing win, and the WBC calls it special
The WBC approved this by reaching for its “special circumstances” clause, a handy section of the rulebook that tends to appear when ordinary standards feel inconvenient.
Heavyweight title shots are usually reserved for contenders who hold a ranking and have proven themselves through eliminators. Verhoeven has neither in boxing. The WBC decided that one professional bout against a winless opponent was sufficient preparation for a shot at its championship. “Special” seems to cover a lot of ground.
Verhoeven has reportedly spent time working on his jab. Good. He will need one. Usyk’s entire heavyweight run has been built on discipline, angles, and a lead hand that keeps opponents turning. Without a firm lead hand, you spend the night reaching at a moving target and punching at air.
Kickboxing builds toughness and timing. Boxing exposes technical flaws early. A lazy jab gets picked off. A square stance gets spun. Miss with the lead hand and you’re eating a counter.
Twelve championship rounds are about ring craft and conditioning. You have to hold position, work behind the jab, and keep your feet under you while the other man is setting traps.
What happens when Usyk starts controlling range and stepping around the lead foot? How long before Verhoeven’s stance starts to unravel?
Verhoeven’s size will be mentioned. Tyson Fury walked in heavier and taller and still found himself reaching for Usyk while eating left hands.
Verhoeven is learning on the job.
He also passed on a UFC contract. That detail tells you something about the business calculation. A boxing ring in front of the Pyramids of Giza, a DAZN pay-per-view, a WBC belt on the line. The payday will dwarf anything attached to his lone professional boxing appearance. He did not earn this through eliminators or rankings. He took the offer when it landed on his desk. And who would blame him?
If a heavyweight champion offers you eight figures to find out whether your jab holds up under championship pressure, you sign the contract.
Verhoeven has never shared a boxing ring with anyone close to Oleksandr Usyk’s level.
Peter Fury can tighten a guard. He can drill the jab. He can have his man working the heavy bag with straight rights and left hooks thrown in sequence. What he cannot give him is twenty professional boxing fights worth of scar tissue and problem-solving in the ring under heavy pressure.
If Verhoeven has any success, it comes early, when his size and strength are still fresh. Once this moves into the later rounds, it turns into a boxing lesson and a manageable night for Usyk.
Usyk is expected to leave with his belt. The real question is whether Verhoeven lasts the distance or discovers how unforgiving elite boxing can be.
Date: May 23
Start time: 7 pm ET (USA ET) / 12 am UK
Streaming platform: DAZN PPV
Venue: Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
Fight card: Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven (WBC heavyweight title)
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