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Verhoeven lifts lid on Fury sparring session before ultimate Usyk test
Rico Verhoeven has opened up on his sparring sessions with Tyson Fury as he prepares to challenge Oleksandr Usyk this May in Egypt.
The veteran kickboxer will switch combat codes to challenge the two-time undisputed heavyweight champion for his WBC crown live on DAZN.
Verhoeven, who has fought professionally as a boxer just once before, will arrive at the Giza necropolis as the rank outsider for their contest.
But the star will hope to pull on his past experience sparring with 'The Gypsy King', Usyk's great rival, when they finally come face-to-face.
Asked how his dance behind closed doors with Fury came to be, Verhoeven has now revealed just what the experience was like with the Briton.
"It was back in the day, and he was here in the Netherlands, training with his uncle, and still, my trainer, Peter Fury," he told Inside the Ring.
"They were looking for sparring [partners, so my trainer Dennis [Krauweel], he said, ‘Hey, we got this big boxer. He's looking for sparring and I think it's good for you'.
“That was one hell of a sparring. He closed both my eyes, and I was like, ‘Wow, this was crazy. I love it. I can learn so much from this guy.”
Will top-drawer spar be enough for surprise?
DAZN News correspondent Andrew Steel
Rico Verhoeven faces more than just the odds when he steps out this May in Africa - he faces a sport keen to see him come up short.
The boxing community has often been dismissive of crossover stars entering the fray, especially against their brightest and their best.
But the Dutchman is a scholar of the sport, and his experience sharing a few rounds with Tyson Fury will undoubtedly have honed his skills.
Make no mistake, Oleksandr Usyk will arrive as the heavy favourite. It would be a remarkable feat for him to come up short in this bout.
Verhoeven will have more than just a puncher's chance however, no matter what the bookmakers say - and that might be all he needs.
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