Sky Sports has unearthed previously unseen footage of Rico Verhoeven, the shock opponent for Oleksandr Usyk’s next title fight, sparring with Tyson Fury who was then on the cusp of starting his own world championship reign.
Fury brought in star kickboxer Verhoeven to prepare for the most important fight of his career. The Morecambe heavyweight was in camp for his 2015 contest with Wladimir Klitschko.
That fight was Fury’s first world title shot, against the man who had dominated the division for a decade and held the unified WBO, WBA and IBF titles. It would be the victory that anointed Fury as the best heavyweight in the sport.
At that time, Verhoeven was already the best heavyweight kickboxer on the planet, and his championship reign in the Glory promotion would stretch on even longer.
He only vacated his kickboxing belt last year and now will be an unlikely opponent for Usyk, the Ukrainian who has taken over as the unified heavyweight world champion and will put his WBC belt on the line against Verhoeven.
Verhoeven will be having only his second ever boxing match, his first in 12 years and the first time he has actually fought a boxer who’s won a pro fight.
And in Usyk he’s not only fighting a journeyman heavyweight, he’s taking on the polar opposite. Usyk is the sport’s ultimate winner. He has won European, World and Olympic gold medals as an amateur. As a professional he’s won undisputed world championships at cruiserweight and twice at heavyweight. He’s never lost a pro fight.
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Muay Thai fighter Liam Harrison believes no one can beat Oleksandr Usyk in boxing, as kickboxer Rico Verhoeven eyes up next fight.
It’s instructive therefore to see how Verhoeven fared in the ring against Fury, Usyk’s closest rival.
In the past Verhoeven has trained regularly with Tyson Fury and worked out with coach Peter Fury, Tyson’s uncle who trained him for the Klitschko victory in Bolton.
In Sky Sports‘ footage Fury has just begun his training camp and is feeling his way into sparring.
Verhoeven sparred with both Tyson and Hughie Fury, very different fighters to Usyk but they will have given Verhoeven good experience of boxing footwork and jabbing, crucial components for a kickboxer looking to transition to the ‘sweet science’.
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Having lost their first two fights, Tyson Fury believes heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk will be ‘begging’ him for a trilogy fight by the end of this year.
Peter Fury has known Verhoeven for many years and will train him for his fight with Usyk. At that time he said: “Every time he comes over and helps with sparring we just brush him up with a bit of technical stuff and some boxing skills. People like him, Rico, they’re a pleasure to work with because they are disciplined and they are true fighting men, plenty of heart, they’re not weak in any shape or form.
“He’ll push himself to the limit and that’s what you want from fighters, you don’t want any excuses and that’s why he is where he is and that’s what it takes.”
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Back in 2015, Rico Verhoeven shares his thoughts on Peter Fury and the impact he has had on his boxing skills.
Verhoeven described how the Fury camp had benefited him. “For me he [Peter Fury] is so much more than just a trainer,” the Dutchman said. “He’s more like a mentor. Because he’s explaining why you should do that. Feinting, stepping to the side, punching.
“In the beginning my jab was so bad, wasn’t quick enough. He took the time, patient, kept working day in, day out.
“What you see in the kickboxing part, they’re all stiff, standing there. Boxing is more light, touching up, moving. It’s totally different and that’s what I try and implement in my kickboxing game. That’s why I think I’m champion. Because not a lot of kickboxers do that.”
