The WBC have decided, after what they call “careful consideration,” to sanction the fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven, meaning Usyk’s WBC heavyweight title will be on the line.
Usyk will face Verhoeven — a 36-year-old kickboxing legend — on May 23 in Giza, Egypt.
Verhoeven, 36, does have a single sanctioned boxing bout on his record, which took place back in 2014. He beat Janos Finfera via second round knockout in Germany. Finfera ended his boxing career with a record of 0-6.
From the
WBC’s press release:
Rico has been competing professionally at an elite kickboxing level since 2005. Over the course of two decades, while maintaining that very highest level of competition, he has established himself as arguably one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxing champions of all time.
Rico’s professional journey has been exceptional, which includes headlining and selling out major stadium arenas in front of 30,000 and 40,000 spectators worldwide. At 36, he competed in 76 professional kickboxing fights. Rico just recently vacated the Glory Kickboxing Heavyweight title, going undefeated in 11 years.
The transition from kickboxing to boxing is not unprecedented. Many Muay Thai athletes have successfully crossed over into professional boxing and competed for WBC titles early in their boxing careers. This WBC decision is within the WBC rules and regulations.
Nobody is denying that Verhoeven has been an incredibly successful kickboxer, nor saying it’s unprecedented to go from kickboxing to boxing and eventually compete at a high level. But awarding Verhoeven a world title fight in what is functionally his first-ever actual pro boxing bout is tough to figure, to put it kindly, from any reasonable standpoint where boxing is seen as a professional sport, and that is with respect to Verhoeven as an athlete, fighter, and champion in his own sport.
Usyk, 39, also still holds the WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles.
