Rico Verhoeven is taking on the trickiest challenge in heavyweight boxing, fighting Oleksandr Usyk, and trying to do it when transitioning from another sport.
Holland’s Verhoeven is the world’s leading heavyweight kickboxer, who dominated the Glory promotion for over a decade. But he’s only had one prior boxing bout and on May 23 will challenge Usyk for the Ukrainian’s WBC title.
Jonathan Haggerty, the ONE Championship bantamweight world titlist, is a British kickboxing superstar. He believes Verhoeven deserves the chance to box Usyk, even though the odds are stacked against the Dutchman.
“It’s something that I would like to do, it’s good to see other people doing it,” Haggerty said of the crossover bout.
“He’s been a champion for years, undefeated. He’s just a beast of a guy really. He goes in there, demolishes people. Been on top for however long. It’s only right he gets the shot at Usyk, it’s going to be brilliant. As long as he’s got no kicks then Usyk might be okay,” Haggerty told Sky Sports.
“I don’t think he’s got a chance really. Usyk’s the best in the world for a reason.”
Verhoeven is working with expert boxing trainer Peter Fury, whom he’s known for many years.
“He’s in good hands so we’ll have to wait and see,” Haggerty said. “He is a unit, so Usyk’s just going to have to move.
“That’s the advice I’d give. Get stuck in. make it uncomfortable.”
Verhoeven is the younger man and Usyk at 39 is at the tail end of his career. The strong Dutchman will have to try to bring his physicality to bear in this fight.
“He’s a big man so it’ll be an interesting one,” former WBO cruiserweight titlist Chris Billam-Smith told Sky Sports.
“It’s two different sports and I’d be surprised if Usyk doesn’t handily beat him.”
He added: “I’ve been nearly nine years in the pro boxing game and it’s just boxing isn’t it? It’s storylines that only boxing can give you. It’s wild and I’m sure plenty will be tuning in. It’ll be an intriguing fight.”
Usyk, who’s beaten Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois, has all the tools though to defuse a bigger man.
Richie Woodhall, the former world champion and now a boxing coach and commentator, broke down what sets Usyk apart.
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“He’s the best counter-puncher on the front foot that I’ve seen in a long time. Obviously when you talk about counter-punchers a lot of people think about people on the back foot and making the opponent miss and then obviously they counter and they score. But with Usyk, you watch him box, he counter-punches on his front foot so a lot of the time he’s going forward,” Woodhall told Sky Sports.
“His movement is unbelievable, you never see him on the ropes, you never see him in the corners. His movement is always circular around the opponent and that’s really good schooling. So he’s always holding the centre of the ring and it’s a bull against a matador situation in terms of when he’s in against much bigger taller opponents. His movement – he’s not conceding ground – he’s still moving, he’s moving around them.
“Which makes him very unique. But his counter-punching ability on the front foot, I haven’t seen better from anyone for years. He’s one in a million.”
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Verhoven shows off his speed ahead of his title fight against Usyk. Pictures from @ricoverhoeven
‘Like water’
Amir Khan, a former two-weight world champion known for lightning quick speed himself, has seen Usyk at work in training camp.
He admired the Ukrainian’s hand-eye co-ordination. “It’s something else. The way he moves, he moves like a lightweight and the way he throws those punches is like water. So easy and smooth,” Khan told Sky Sports.
The way Usyk trains is unusual. “Very different. He’s doing so many things different. His footwork drills, then he’s catching the coins, then he’s doing the wall drills, the vision drills, all that definitely makes a difference. I’ve probably learned more when I retired why these things are good,” Khan said. “He’s a got a good team around him that focus on the mental side first, then go into the physical things.
“When we used to train we never used to enjoy it, we used to find it so hard and never enjoyed it because it was hard, putting our body through that pace. But with Usyk he enjoys it it seems. He’s having fun training and everything else.”
He can dismantle opponents, even ones with substantial advantages in size.
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“I saw him sparring. He made it look boring but guess what, he’s still tagging you, hitting you, he’s still catching you with shots and he’s just killing your confidence and killing the way you fight and that’s what makes him an amazing fighter. He knows how to break down a fighter,” Khan said.
“Someone might be confident, someone might be strong, he knows how to break down any fighter and the guy is the best. Watching him was amazing, to see how easy and smooth he trains.
“You have to say with the fighters he’s beaten and how’s good he’s looked in his last few fights, he’s among the best heavyweights we’ve ever had.”
