The Rico Verhoeven boxing match vs Usyk is almost like throwing a lamb into a lion’s cage but what is the purpose of it?
Everyone is expecting Usyk to win easily this weekend in their heavyweight title fight.
Going into the fight it is important to bare this in mind:
- Usyk has 24 professional boxing bouts.
- Verhoeven has 1 professional boxing bout.
- Usyk has 221 professional boxing rounds completed.
- Verhoeven has 2 professional boxing rounds completed.
- Usyk has defeated 3 undisputed or unified heavyweight champions.
- Verhoeven has not competed for a boxing world title.
- Usyk has held IBF, WBA, WBO, and WBC belts.
- Verhoeven has held the GLORY heavyweight belt.
- Usyk became undisputed at cruiserweight in 2018.
- Verhoeven became GLORY champion in 2013.
- Usyk has pay-per-view headlining experience in the UK, Saudi Arabia, and Poland.
- Verhoeven headlined GLORY pay-per-view events in Europe and the US.
- Usyk has fought 3 Olympic medalists as a professional.
- Verhoeven has no amateur boxing record on file with AIBA.
- Usyk has never been knocked down as a professional.
Rico will have to sink or swim very fast in there.
A lot hinges on how he starts the fight and he does have a weight advantage over Usyk and Usyk has piled on weight.
It will depend if Usyk can use that weight or not to his advantage.
In terms of his punching power or if Rico looks to clinch on the inside will Usyk just jab him and keep it long.
Usyk at the end of the day is the far better boxer.
It will be intriguing to see if Usyk goes easy on him at all.
