Rico Verhoeven is taking up the trickiest problem in heavyweight boxing, combating Oleksandr Usyk, and making an attempt to do it when transitioning from one other sport.
Holland’s Verhoeven is the world’s main heavyweight kickboxer, who dominated the Glory promotion for over a decade. However he is solely had one prior boxing bout and on Could 23 will problem Usyk for the Ukrainian’s WBC title.
Jonathan Haggerty, the ONE Championship bantamweight world titlist, is a British kickboxing celebrity. He believes Verhoeven deserves the possibility to field Usyk, despite the fact that the chances are stacked in opposition to the Dutchman.
“It’s something that I would like to do, it’s good to see other people doing it,” Haggerty stated of the crossover bout.
“He’s been a champion for years, undefeated. He’s just a beast of a guy really. He goes in there, demolishes people. Been on top for however long. It’s only right he gets the shot at Usyk, it’s going to be brilliant. As long as he’s got no kicks then Usyk might be okay,” Haggerty informed Sky Sports activities.
“I don’t think he’s got a chance really. Usyk’s the best in the world for a reason.”
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Relive when Verhoeven sparred Tyson Fury within the build-up to his conquer Wladimir Klitschko again in 2015
Verhoeven is working with skilled boxing coach Peter Fury, whom he is identified for a few years.
“He’s in good hands so we’ll have to wait and see,” Haggerty stated. “He is a unit, so Usyk’s just going to have to move.
“That is the recommendation I would give. Get caught in. make it uncomfortable.”
Verhoeven is the younger man and Usyk at 39 is at the tail end of his career. The strong Dutchman will have to try to bring his physicality to bear in this fight.
“He is an enormous man so it will be an fascinating one,” former WBO cruiserweight titlist Chris Billam-Smith told Sky Sports.
“It is two totally different sports activities and I would be stunned if Usyk does not handily beat him.”
He added: “I have been practically 9 years within the professional boxing recreation and it is simply boxing is not it? It is storylines that solely boxing may give you. It is wild and I am certain lots might be tuning in. It’s going to be an intriguing struggle.”
Usyk, who’s crushed Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois, has all of the instruments although to defuse a much bigger man.
Richie Woodhall, the previous world champion and now a boxing coach and commentator, broke down what units Usyk aside.
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Frank Warren reveals whether or not Fabio Wardley or Daniel Dubois will struggle Usyk
“He’s the best counter-puncher on the front foot that I’ve seen in a long time. Obviously when you talk about counter-punchers a lot of people think about people on the back foot and making the opponent miss and then obviously they counter and they score. But with Usyk, you watch him box, he counter-punches on his front foot so a lot of the time he’s going forward,” Woodhall informed Sky Sports activities.
“His movement is unbelievable, you never see him on the ropes, you never see him in the corners. His movement is always circular around the opponent and that’s really good schooling. So he’s always holding the centre of the ring and it’s a bull against a matador situation in terms of when he’s in against much bigger taller opponents. His movement – he’s not conceding ground – he’s still moving, he’s moving around them.
“Which makes him very distinctive. However his counter-punching capacity on the entrance foot, I have not seen higher from anybody for years. He is one in one million.”
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Verhoven exhibits off his velocity forward of his title struggle in opposition to Usyk. Footage from @ricoverhoeven
‘Like water’
Amir Khan, a former two-weight world champion identified for lightning fast velocity himself, has seen Usyk at work in coaching camp.
He admired the Ukrainian’s hand-eye co-ordination. “It’s something else. The way he moves, he moves like a lightweight and the way he throws those punches is like water. So easy and smooth,” Khan informed Sky Sports activities.
The way in which Usyk trains is uncommon. “Very different. He’s doing so many things different. His footwork drills, then he’s catching the coins, then he’s doing the wall drills, the vision drills, all that definitely makes a difference. I’ve probably learned more when I retired why these things are good,” Khan stated. “He’s a got a good team around him that focus on the mental side first, then go into the physical things.
“Once we used to coach we by no means used to get pleasure from it, we used to search out it so laborious and by no means loved it as a result of it was laborious, placing our physique by means of that tempo. However with Usyk he enjoys it it appears. He is having enjoyable coaching and every part else.”
He can dismantle opponents, even ones with substantial benefits in dimension.
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Former World heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis suggested Usyk to retire ‘on the prime’ when he decides to step away from the ring
“I saw him sparring. He made it look boring but guess what, he’s still tagging you, hitting you, he’s still catching you with shots and he’s just killing your confidence and killing the way you fight and that’s what makes him an amazing fighter. He knows how to break down a fighter,” Khan stated.
“Someone might be confident, someone might be strong, he knows how to break down any fighter and the guy is the best. Watching him was amazing, to see how easy and smooth he trains.
“You need to say with the fighters he is crushed and the way’s good he is appeared in his previous couple of fights, he is among the many greatest heavyweights we have ever had.”
