Rico Verhoeven is a kickboxer and an unknown in professional boxing yet is boxing the heavyweight champion of the world next.
He takes on Oleksandr Usyk later this month in Usyk’s latest heavyweight title defense in professional boxing.
A truly shocking decision from Usyk.
To compound the backlash from the entire sport worldwide and boxing fans worldwide at Usyk, now Rico Verhoeven has a black eye going into the fight this month.
Prompting many fans to say his training is going not good and he is being tanked in sparring (per the above photo).
Let’s look at some facts on the above.
Got it — here’s the same table with all quotes removed, facts only:
Rico Verhoeven – Black Eye / Injury Facts Ahead of Usyk (May 23, 2026)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date of Fight | May 23, 2026 at Pyramids of Giza, Egypt. Usyk defends WBC heavyweight title |
| Opponent Experience | Verhoeven has 1 pro boxing bout in 2014, a KO win vs Janos Finfera. This is his first fight in 12 years and first vs a pro boxer who’s won a fight |
| Injury Reported | May 3, 2026: Verhoeven posts from camp. He is completely blue. It looks like he’s wearing makeup. It feels and looks like he’s been run over by a truck |
| Visible Damage | He shared he is black and blue and red and blue from sparring, with fans commenting he looks like he’s getting tanked in camp |
| Training Isolation | In a fighthouse camp with no family or distractions. Verhoeven says it’s a big adventure. He’s working very hard, but it’s starting to pay off |
| Sparring Quality | Verhoeven has sparred Tyson Fury since 2015 and is now working with Peter Fury, Tyson’s former trainer, to prep for Usyk |
| Usyk’s Level | Usyk is 24-0, 15 KOs, 3x undisputed champion, never lost as pro or amateur. Beat Fury, Joshua, Dubois, all bigger men |
| Size Difference | Verhoeven: ∼6’5″, 125 kg / 265 lbs. Usyk: ∼6’3″, under 230 lbs. Verhoeven says when he lands his best punch on him, of course he will go down |
| Camp Injury Update | May 2, 2026 YouTube title: Fight Cancelled! Rico Verhoeven Shares Camp Injury Update Ahead of Oleksandr Usyk Fight. Fans questioning if bout is at risk |
| Usyk’s Take | Usyk calls him a great guy, a dangerous guy. But this is boxing, a different game, with its own rules and its own kings |
Why This Is Less Than Ideal Prep for a Usyk Title Fight
| Issue | Why It Matters vs Usyk |
|---|---|
| Taking heavy damage in camp | Usyk is a master at breaking fighters down. Amir Khan says he’s still tagging you, hitting you, killing your confidence. Entering hurt means you’re already broken down |
| Limited boxing rounds | Only 1 pro boxing fight in 2014. Sparring damage suggests he’s struggling to adapt to boxing pace and angles vs elite boxers |
| Facial injury affects vision | Black eyes and swelling reduce peripheral vision and depth perception. Usyk’s footwork, angles, and feints exploit exactly that |
| Fans perceiving tanking | If sparring partners are marking him up, it signals he’s not handling boxing shots well. Usyk’s accuracy and output are higher than any sparring partner |
| Mental factor | Verhoeven admits it feels like he’s been run over by a truck. Usyk thrives when opponents lose confidence. Khan says he knows how to break down any fighter |
| No tune-up | Jumped straight into WBC title fight vs #1 heavyweight. No 6-8 round fights to adjust after 12-year layoff from boxing |
Rico also said he felt like he had been run over by a truck.
This is looking even worse for Usyk now who is facing more problems mounting up on him daily because of this opponent choice.
Rico Verhoeven is an even bigger underdog than ever now.
Surely a bigger underdog than Buster Douglas was to beat Mike Tyson in Tokyo in Japan all the way back in their heavyweight title fight in 1990.
That’s how much of a mismatch this is by Usyk.
Following David Benavidez’ big win at the weekend over Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez some have started talking of a possible Usyk vs Benavidez fight.
It would be a much bigger challenge for Usyk than Rico Verhoeven later this month.
