EITHERLeksandr Usyk will face a unique challenge when facing the great kickboxing champion Rico Verhoevennothing less than at the pyramids of Giza this Saturday, May 23. The fight has an irresistible commercial halo: the king of boxing against the king of kickboxing facing off in a ring located at the foot of one of the wonders of the world.
The former Glory champion knows that the bets are against you no matter how much his resume in his sport makes him a fearsome adversary on paper. It is about his second boxing fight and he faces the best heavyweight in years, who has never been defeated. Verhoeven, 37, returns to boxing a decade later.
Despite his inexperience in the noble art, ‘The King of Kickboxing’ believes he possesses certain skills that Usyk will not be able to counter. With both fighters in Cairo, Rico has issued his last warning: “Oleksandr, I respect you a lot for accepting this fight, but we are going to make this an incredible show. I am going to show them something they have never seen before”Verhoeven commented.
The Dutchman accumulated a record of 66-10 in kickboxing, including a 22-fight winning streak before deciding to return to the world of boxing. Rico is considered one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers of all time and a strong candidate for the Glory Hall of Fame. He is an eminence in kickboxing just as Usyk is in boxing.
Teddy Atlas’ opinion
Ahead of the main event, respected boxing coach and commentator Teddy Atlasonce on Cus D’Amato’s team, has analyzed the fight for the community of ‘The Ropes’. About Verhoeven he said:“Nothing, neither on offense nor defense, will allow him to keep up with Usyk unless Usyk carries him.”. I see that he could take body shots or a counterattack when he advances by throwing punches. Rico will be knocked out if Usyk is serious. There is no way to know now if it will or if he will try to ‘work’ with him like in a training session.”
He also analyzed Usyk, although he has him as his clear winner: “Southpaw, a complete boxer. Very versatile. Technically solid. Good hand speed, powerful legs and great mobility. Defensively solid. Attacks the body well. His jab sets up all the blows. You can attack or counterattack. Very good at setting traps and counterattacking. Great resistance and courage. A possible weak point: he has received body blows. He can beat Verhoeven with jab combinations when covering, countering him while throwing punches, or attacking his body. The decision is yours.”