LIVE
Share on FacebookOn May 23 in Egypt, at the Giza pyramid complex, the professional boxing event The Ring: Glory in Giza will take place. The spotlight will be on the evening’s main event, where former undisputed world champion in two weight divisions Oleksandr Usyk will share the ring with legendary kickboxer Rico Verhoeven. On paper, of course, Usyk looks like the favorite, but the Dutch kickboxer should not be underestimated — Rico is more than capable of pulling off a surprise.
Over the course of his career, Verhoeven earned a nickname that perfectly reflects his status — the King of Kickboxing. Rico began training in martial arts from a young age: first karate, and later kickboxing entered his life. Verhoeven was a physically large child, grew quickly, and often had to fight older boys because there were very few peers with a similar build.
The imposing Verhoeven made his professional debut at just 16 years old. Both his physical dimensions (196 cm tall with a 210 cm reach) and his fighting style were impressive. First and foremost, it should be noted that Rico makes excellent use of his advantages, especially his ability to control distance thanks to his long limbs. A stiff jab, powerful one-two combinations, and kicks to different levels — that’s classic Verhoeven.
Rico is also very comfortable at close range: when the distance closes, he immediately ties opponents up in the clinch, lands knees, and throws well-timed, powerful uppercuts. It’s also important to understand that Verhoeven weighs around 125 kg, and when such a massive fighter starts leaning on and tying up opponents, their energy drains very quickly.
Verhoeven often prefers to fight as the aggressor, applying constant pressure. His excellent conditioning allows him to attack actively for three or even five rounds without any issues — his most recent fight against Artem Vakhitov proved that. At the same time, Verhoeven’s activity is measured and cautious. Rico does not recklessly charge forward with his guard open, nor does he constantly try to drag opponents into wild exchanges, although that occasionally happens. Most of the time, his pressure comes behind a high guard to protect against counters. Rico is always highly focused and never allows himself to lose concentration — dropping his hands or becoming careless.
All of this came with experience because, in his younger years, Rico did not always win. His career included setbacks, including knockout losses that taught him valuable lessons. For example, before the Glory era, Verhoeven fought Errol Zimmerman, nicknamed “The Bonecrusher.” Rico became too absorbed in pressing forward and attacking, forgot about defense for a moment, and was instantly punished by counter hooks. Incidentally, that remains Verhoeven’s only direct knockout defeat — he never made that mistake again.
Even from a young age, Verhoeven fought intelligently, which is why he attracted the attention of the world’s leading kickboxing promotions. The powerful and athletic Dutchman always used his physical advantages effectively, rarely made reckless decisions, and fought pragmatically — in that sense, he is quite similar to Usyk. Rico has solid defense, including slips and footwork, along with a tight guard that is difficult to break through: in more than 70 fights, only Zimmerman managed to knock him out. Yes, Rico has been knocked down multiple times, but he always continued fighting, which also says a lot about his character and ability to recover quickly.
In Glory, Verhoeven built an almost unbelievable record of 28-1. He became the youngest champion in the organization’s history and defended the heavyweight title 13 times — phenomenal statistics. But all of that happened in kickboxing, a world very different from boxing. Completely different timing, a different number of rounds, and the absence of kicks — one of Verhoeven’s favorite weapons — could all work against Rico in a fight with Usyk. Despite all his achievements in kickboxing, it’s important to remember that the Dutchman has only competed in professional boxing once — and that was 12 years ago.
Back then, Rico faced Janos Finfera, a boxer most people have probably never heard of. The Hungarian entered the fight with a “formidable” 0-5 record, having lost all five bouts by knockout. He also suffered an early stoppage against Verhoeven. Rico handled his opponent with ease in just a round and a half, finishing him with a powerful counter one-two combination. The Dutchman showed a fast jab, solid clinch work with decent uppercuts and short hooks, but it would be difficult to draw serious conclusions about his boxing style based on a single fight against Finfera. Incidentally, Janos retired after that bout.
Rico undoubtedly has his strengths. He uses his size very effectively, which should benefit him against the not particularly tall Usyk. Verhoeven has solid defense, unlike, for example, Oleksandr’s last opponent — Daniel Dubois. Rico fights intelligently and technically, knows when to engage in exchanges using his power and natural attributes, and when necessary can fight from distance using footwork. But despite all of that, Rico is stepping into his opponent’s territory — waters where Usyk has been swimming for many years. Will Verhoeven be able to maintain strong cardio at 37 years old during the second half of the fight? Can he compete using only his hands against one of the most technical boxers of the modern era, especially in the heavyweight division? There are many questions, and we will get the answers very soon.
