The Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven isn’t what was called by popular demand but it’s fight week now…
Usyk is getting absolutely pulverized worldwide on this, rest assured. But Rico has hit the lottery with his shot at the world heavyweight title this weekend.
Its like something of a Rocky movie but it is real. Here’s some of the knowns going in:
- Oleksandr Usyk holds a professional boxing record of 24 wins and 0 losses with 15 knockouts.
- Rico Verhoeven holds a professional boxing record of 1 win and 0 losses with 1 knockout from 2014.
- Usyk is the current IBF, WBA, and WBC heavyweight champion.
- Verhoeven is not ranked in the top 15 by the WBA, IBF, WBC, or WBO in boxing.
- Verhoeven was GLORY Kickboxing heavyweight champion for 12 years.
- Verhoeven vacated the GLORY heavyweight title in November 2025.
- Usyk vacated the WBO heavyweight title after July 2025.
- Usyk became undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era in May 2024.
- Usyk became undisputed cruiserweight champion before moving to heavyweight.
- Verhoeven’s kickboxing record is 66 wins and 10 losses with 21 knockouts.
- Usyk won Olympic gold in the heavyweight division at London 2012.
- Verhoeven is 37 years old as of May 2026.
- Usyk is 39 years old as of May 2026.
- Verhoeven has competed in mixed martial arts and holds a 1-0 record.
- Usyk defeated Daniel Dubois by knockout in July 2025 at Wembley Stadium.
That makes for sobering reading when you consider all of the above and that this is a fully fledged heavyweight boxing title fight this weekend.
It wouldn’t only be just the biggest upset in boxing history but maybe in all of professional sports history if Rico won this weekend.
We can’t think of what would have been bigger.
There is no bigger in all of sports history that we know of then Rico against Usyk this weekend.
Usyk is the one with everything to lose this weekend — no pressure on Rico.
