Error code: %{errorCode}
Usyk vs. Rico: Can the kickboxing legend really beat the all-time boxing great?
There is an old adage in the fight game: A fighter can be beaten on any given day.
Look at James "Buster" Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson in February 1990 to become the undisputed heavyweight champion in Tokyo. Or Muhammad Ali regaining his glory when he stopped George Foreman at the Rumble in the Jungle in October 1974 in Zaire. And don't forget about Frankie Randall when he handed Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. his first defeat in January 1994 in Las Vegas.
Could we be adding Rico Verhoeven to the mix when, on Saturday, the kickboxing legend challenges Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC heavyweight title from the Pyramids of Giza, live and exclusive on DAZN Pay-Per-View and the DAZN Ultimate Tier?
This heavyweight contest headlines an exciting card which sees a British fighter attempt to become a world champion at the second time of asking.
Inside Usyk and Rico training camps
BUY NOW: Purchase Usyk vs. Verhoeven PPV right now by clicking here
Heading into Saturday, Usyk is a sizable favorite. And that's to be expected. Remember, Usyk is a three-time undisputed champion (twice at heavyweight, once at cruiserweight) and the current unified titlist in the land of the giants. He's a tall order for any man.
But Verhoeven isn't just any man. Does that mean, though, he's the guy to hand the first L to Usyk? Watching the press conference, watching and listening to Verhoeven and those in boxing does give you a sense of belief the impossible can be done.
"The fight on paper is an impossible mountain to climb for the normal man," Eddie Hearn said at Thursday's press conference. "But the reason he's accomplished what he's accomplished and the reason he's done what he's done is because he's not a normal man."
One notable fighter has gone on the record with his belief that Verhoeven will shock the world.
"I think Usyk loses this fight in Egypt," former heavyweight title challenger Derek Chisora said Thursday on Talksport.
The hosts were astounded but Chisora held firm.
"I'm telling you, he's going to beat Usyk," Chisora boldly proclaimed.
Watching Verhoeven on Thursday, you can see the belief in his eyes, the way he walked, and talked. He was as cool as a cucumber. And it's that belief in himself which Verhoeven has so confident he can do what 21 different opponents haven't been able to master.
"The first objective is to win," Verhoeven said at the presser. "How we're going to win, we'll see. If it's a knockout, it's a knockout. If it's a decision, then it's a decision. And if it would come to a decision, and I get the win, wow. Then I faced the (top) pound-for-pound fighter for years and years, and I beat him in 12 rounds. He tried everything, and he couldn't beat me."
Hearing past Usyk opponents talk about beating, they would scream, yell obscenities, or talk like Verhoeven, to the point where you knew they didn't have the self-belief that a victory was possible. Listening to Verhoeven talk, you hear and feel the calmness. The tone is one where the heart rate stays at rest and doesn't fluctuate. And when the voice raised a bit, it was genuine and not one of self-doubt but one of excitement at the opportunity that awaits him.
You don't go 28-1, win 27 consecutive fights, and be the GLORY heavyweight champion and become the king of kickboxing without having confidence. But what Verhoeven is controlled aggression. Not too high and not too low. He keeps things even keel once inside the ring.
Verhoeven has everything to gain and nothing to lose. He's playing with house money on Saturday. Fighting the best heavyweight of this generation, a pound-for-pound all-time great, in front of the Pyramids in Egypt. It doesn't get much better than that.
Many expect Verhoeven to get wiped out and show he is beyond his depth. Can Verhoeven do what Foreman, Douglas, and Randall did before him and pull off perhaps the biggest upset in boxing history?
Anything can happen in any given fight. That's why the hands get taped, the gloves get put on, and the walk to the ring happens. You just never know what can happen once the opening bell sounds.
The best man will win and perhaps, just maybe, that will be Rico Verhoeven.
Watch Usyk vs Verhoeven only on DAZN
Oleksandr Usyk puts his unbeaten record on the line against Rico Verhoeven on Saturday, May 23, in front of the Egyptian pyramids, live and exclusive on DAZN. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Zayas vs. Ennis (June 27) PPV, with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
