Verhoeven, 36, who stands 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 269 pounds, made a name for himself in kickboxing. He won 26 straight in Glory and held the heavyweight title for many years. Fourteen championship wins. Long periods of dominance were built on a combination of conditioning, knees and shin guards. None of this translates neatly into a twelve-round title fight scored by boxing judges, who look for clean punches, takedowns and effective aggression.

He won a boxing match. one. Against Janos Finfera who had never won a fight. This is the complete professional boxing resume that Alexander Usyk has put across the ring.

Peter Fury insists there will be no embarrassment.

“People need to support this fight because I can tell you right now: I’m certainly not going to go out on the world stage and embarrass myself and I’m not going to embarrass my fellow fighters.”

He doubled down on his efforts.

“My fighter is a no-nonsense fighter, so it’s going to be a great fight. Trust me. Usyk is an unbelievable champion. I respect him as a fighter, a boxer, and I respect him as a person.”

Then it got closer.

“I respect Rico. So I’m going to do my job and I’m going to enjoy it, no matter what the result is, that’s what it is.”

This is controlled conversation, and it must be so. Anyone who truly understands Usyk’s elite level knows what awaits on the other side of the ring. His footwork changes angles by inches, his feints elicit a reaction before the punch leaves his shoulder, and his jab determines the tempo of the round. When you send a kickboxing champion to tackle the problem, you want to keep your voice steady. You can’t sell panic.

A recognized defense, a prizefighting win, the WBC calls it special

The WBC approves this through the use of an “exceptional circumstances” clause, a convenient part of the rulebook that tends to appear when ordinary standards feel inconvenient.

The heavyweight title is usually reserved for contenders who have the rankings and proven themselves through knockouts. Verhoeven was neither in boxing. The WBC believes that one professional fight against a winless opponent is sufficient preparation for a title shot. “Special” seems to cover a lot of ground.

Verhoeven reportedly spent a lot of time working on his jab. OK He needs one. Usyk’s entire heavyweight division is built on discipline, angles, and leading hands that turn his opponents around. Without a solid lead hand, you’ll spend all night reaching for a moving target and punching the air.

Taekwondo builds toughness and timing. Boxing exposed its technical flaws early on. Lazy jab canceled. The square rotates. Miss the leading hand and you take advantage of your opponent.

The Twelve Round Championship is all about in-ring craft and physical training. When your opponent sets a trap, you have to stand your ground, work behind the jab, and keep your feet underneath you.

What happens when Usyk starts to control range and get around the front foot? How long before Verhoeven’s position begins to unravel?

Verhoeven’s size will be mentioned. Tyson Fury walked in heavier and taller, but still found himself reaching for Usyk and eating left hands.

Verhoeven learned on the job.

He also passed on a UFC contract. This detail tells you something about business computing. The boxing ring in front of the Giza Pyramids, DAZN pay channel, WBC boxing championship belt. The payday would dwarf his only professional boxing performance. He didn’t earn this honor through elimination or ranking. When the invitation came across his desk, he accepted. Who could blame him?

If a heavyweight champion offered you eight figures to see if your jab works under championship pressure, you’d sign a contract.

Verhoeven has never shared the ring with anyone close to Oleksandr Usyk’s level.

Peter Fury could step up the defense. He can drill and stab. He can have his players deal with the heavy bag with consecutive right hooks and left hooks. What he couldn’t give him was the scar tissue from twenty professional boxing fights and the ability to figure things out in the ring under heavy pressure.

If Verhoeven had any success, it was while his size and strength were still fresh. Once it got into the later rounds, it turned into a boxing lesson and it was a manageable night for Usyk.

Usyk is expected to walk away with the belt. The real question is whether Verhoeven can stay the course, or discover how ruthless elite boxing can be.

Date: May 23
Start time: 7pm ET (US) / 12am UK
Streaming Platform: DAZN PPV
Location: Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
Fight Card: Alexander Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven (WBC Heavyweight Championship)