Oleksandr Usyk cleaned out the cruiserweight division, stepped up to heavyweight and overturned the odds to do it all over again.
He has defeated the two outstanding big men of their era – Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua – twice each. He has left the now two-time champion Daniel Dubois twice beaten and befuddled inside the distance. He is a two-time undisputed champion.
As such, Usyk has probably earned this one.
There is no such thing as knockabout fun inside the prize ring, but the Ukrainian master taking on kickboxing great Rico Verhoeven in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza is probably as close as it gets.
Verhoeven was the longest-reigning heavyweight champion for the Glory kickboxing promotion, but has competed under the Queensberry Rules once. This is the sort of crossover fight that has increasingly become a feature of big-time boxing.
Usyk tipped the scales at a career-high weight of 233.3 lbs, still 25 pounds lighter than his opponent. Verhoeven will have designs on causing Usyk a scare as MMA star Francis Ngannou did when he decked Fury en route to a 2023 points loss.
That earned Ngannou the dubious reward of a date with Joshua, who flattened him inside two rounds. That’s also a live possibility for the Briton’s friend and current training partner, although it’s more likely that Usyk runs through the repertoire a little before ending this whenever he fancies.
Thankfully, there are a string of far more competitive bouts on the undercard for world honours that are much harder to call.
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven undercard
Here’s a breakdown of all the action on the Usyk vs. Verhoeven card.
Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Alem Begic
- Division/Weight: Super Middleweight
- Sheeraz record: 22-0-1
- Begic record: 29-0-1
- Belts at stake: WBO (vacant)
Sheeraz recovered from the disappointment of a weight-drained draw with WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames with a career-best performance last time out. Up at 168 lbs, the British star demolished Edgar Berlanga in New York. Berlanga was decked twice in round four and stopped in the next session.
This vacant belt gives Sheeraz a prime opportunity to claim the world title that eluded his grasp against Adames. Begic has an impressive record on paper, but it has been compiled against largely moderate opposition in Europe. This is only the third time the 39-year-old has taken part in a bout scheduled for 12 rounds. He shouldn’t really make it that far if Sheeraz makes the anticipated gulf in class a reality.
Jack Catterall vs. Shakhram Giyasov
- Division/Weight: Welterweight
- Catterall record: 32-2
- Giyasov record: 17-0
- Belts at stake: WBA Regular (vacant)
More than four years on from being scandalously denied undisputed super lightweight glory against his great rival Josh Taylor, Catterall is back in a world title fight against the gifted 2016 Olympic silver medalist Giyasov.
Although only for the WBA’s ‘regular’ trinket, ‘super’ champion Rolly Romero must fight the winner within six months. Catterall recorded an impressive stoppage win over Ekow Essuman on his first outing at 147lbs last November. Giyasov will hope that ring rust isn’t an issue after 13 months out of action.
Frank Sanchez vs. Richard Torrez Jr.
- Division/Weight: Heavyweight
- Sanchez record: 25-1
- Torres record: 14-0
- Belts at stake: N/A
Rising American star Torres will seek to position himself within the fast-moving heavyweight landscape by beating experienced Cuban Frank Sanchez.
Since his comprehensive defeat to Agit Kabayal in Riyadh two years ago, Sanchez has only boxed one scheduled six-rounder against a journeyman. Twelve of Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Torrez’s 14 professional wins have come inside the distance.
Mizuki Hiruta vs. Mai Solman
- Division/Weight: Super Flyweight
- Hiruta record: 10-0
- Solman record: 10-1
- Belts at stake: WBO
Despite this being on her 11th professional contest, Hiruta will make the seventh defence of her WBO title
Soloman has positioned herself for this shot with an eight-fight winning streak. Five of the past six have come via knockout.
Daniel Lapin vs. Benjamin Mendes Tani
- Division/Weight: Light Heavyweight
- Lapin record: 13-0
- Mendes Tani record: 9-1
Usyk’s training partner Lapin is back on one of his compatriot’s undercards after he laboured to a majority decision win over Lewis Edmondson at Wembley last summer.
Frenchman Mendes Tani steps up to 10 rounds for the first time and only has two knockouts in nine wins.
Where to watch Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven
- Live Stream: DAZN
- PPV Price: $59.99
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven will be available on DAZN worldwide.
A DAZN monthly subscription is $20.99 on a 12-month contract or $30.99 month-to-month. The annual subscription is $224.99.
The PPV price is $59.99. You can also sign up to the DAZN Ultimate package to watch PPV boxing at no extra cost.
DAZN Ultimate is DAZN’s premium subscription tier, which includes a minimum of 12 pay‑per‑view boxing events per year as part of the subscription. That includes major heavyweight bouts such as Usyk vs. Verhoeven, plus over 185 fight nights annually.
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