Oleksandr Usyk will put his World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight belt in line next month against 37-year-old Dutch kickboxer, Rico Verhoeven, in a match that will take place in Egypt, next to the Pyramids of Giza, on May 23. A very attractive setting for a fight that has garnered him a lot of criticism, for choosing a kickboxer without much boxing experience.
It will be Usyk's first fight since beating Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last July. The 39-year-old remains unbeaten after 24 victories, and he will fight an experienced kickboxer, but one that has only had one professional boxing fight in his career, back in 2014 (won by KO), beyond sparring with Tyson Fury. This fight has been labelled "a mammoth mismatch" by boxing specialist Kal Sajad from BBC, but Fury defends his right to fight on his own terms.
In a press conference in London on Tuesday, Usyk reminded everyone that Verhoeven is a threat (via Reuters). "A lot of people say why you choose this and not a boxer. Rico is a great guy, it's a dangerous guy. One time I want to do what I want, not what I need. A lot of time I do what other people need. You have to box this person, or this or this. I say okay. Now I do what I want."
Verhoeven trusts that the sheer difference in size will help him in the combat. "When I land my best punch on him, of course, he will go down, because it's like a 20 kilogram weight difference". Verhoeven weights 120 kg, 265 pounds, and Usyk is 104 kg, 230 pounds. "He's like a built-up cruiserweight. So, I'm like a naturally born heavyweight, so, that's a big difference."