Oleksandr Usyk, the two-time undisputed heavyweight world champion and former undisputed cruiserweight champ, has fought and conquered the likes of Mairis Breidis, Tony Bellew, Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois and Tyson Fury in his sterling career. And since dispatching Chazz Witherspoon in seven rounds in his heavyweight debut in 2019, Usyk has taken on only the most formidable challenges.
So on Friday, which brought the announcement of the next mountain to be climbed by the 39-year-old Usyk, 24-0 (15 KOs), the same words were on the lips of countless fans across the globe:
Who is Rico Verhoeven?
It’s a fair question. Verhoeven – a 36-year-old from Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands – is galactically famous in certain combat-sports circles. At 6ft 5in, 269lbs, he is the “King of Kickboxing,” having dominated Glory’s heavyweight division to the tune of 26 straight wins, including a record 14 wins in title bouts. Verhoeven even today is widely regarded as the No. 1 kickboxer in the world.
But if anything, that decorated resume only underscores how oddly out of place he is in a prizefight – especially facing perhaps the current No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer on the planet. Verhoeven has fought in exactly one professional boxing match (a knockout of Hungary’s winless Janos Finfera in 2014) and is virtually unknown among casual fight fans. He has reportedly spent time working with Fury to hone his jab, for whatever that’s worth. Verhoeven also has one win in a mixed martial arts contest.
Given those details, a different question arises: What in the name of Simferopol, Crimea, is Usyk doing sharing a ring with Verhoeven? Even if failure seems the most remote of possibilities for Usyk, there also seems to be precious little to gain from a win in this instance.
Unless you count money.
Usyk almost certainly does. Although he is one of the rare modern fighters who doesn’t merely speak of legacy but has actually pursued it, he and manager Egis Klimas are savvy businessmen who have carefully plotted out a path that converges at Hall of Fame glory and maximum earning power. Usyk wouldn’t be fighting Verhoeven if the dollars didn’t make sense.
And, frankly, there ain’t nothing going on here but the rent. Not that we needed further confirmation, but fellow kickboxing royalty Liam Harrison has already claimed that Verhoeven doesn’t have a shot in the matchup – though “deserves” it nonetheless. If this is all starting to sound like nothing more than a glorified exhibition, congratulations – you’re all caught up.
Every stop will be pulled out along the way: The fighters will square off in front of the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. They will be (accurately) sold as active legends in their respective sports. Promoters will frantically highlight their size difference, a potential 40lbs gap that theoretically favors Verhoeven – never mind that Fury was able to parlay his 50lbs and 6in advantages into no better than a split decision and unanimous decision loss in two fights with Usyk. And Fury, it should be noted, is an actual boxer.
Many more sports fans will learn Verhoeven’s name and story in the coming days, and he figures to earn a nifty payday – likely his biggest of any kind – for the Usyk fight, set for May 23 and a DAZN pay-per-view broadcast. Good on him. Verhoeven won the placeholder sweepstakes to keep Usyk busy until a proper fight with Fabio Wardley can be worked out, and he can’t be faulted for answering when the business of modern boxing comes knocking.
But here’s hoping the next time Usyk raps his knuckles that whoever comes to the door has a pair of 10oz gloves, a name that boxing fans recognize and a snowball’s chance in hell against the heavyweight champion of the world.
Jason Langendorf is the former Boxing Editor of ESPN.com, was a contributor to Ringside Seat and the Queensberry Rules, and has written about boxing for Vice, The Guardian, Sun-Times and other publications. A member of the Boxing Writers Association of America, he can be found at LinkedIn and followed on X and Bluesky.
