This collage of photos shows heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk (left) and Rico Verhoeven. — Reuters/Instagram
Kickboxing legend Liam Harrison has said that no one can beat Oleksandr Usyk in the current boxing world, but Rico Verhoeven deserves a chance due to his legendary status.
Two-time undisputed heavyweight champion Usyk is set to make his long-awaited boxing return on May 23 in Giza, Egypt, where he will defend his WBC title against kickboxing great Verhoeven.
The Ukrainian boxer has been allowed by the WBC for a voluntary defence of its belt before taking on his mandatory challenger.
Usyk, who currently holds the WBA, WBC and IBF belts, has not entered the ring since stopping Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in July.
Oleksandr Usyk will be facing a vastly different challenge in Verhoeven, who will be stepping into a boxing ring for the first time since 2014.
Verhoeven, 36, is a kickboxing legend and has a record of 66-10, 21 KOs as a kickboxer.
Harrison, who is himself a kickboxing legend, said that no one can beat Usyk in the boxing world, but guys like Verhoeven deserve chances like these.
“No one can beat Usyk in a boxing fight, I don’t care who you are. He’s the best heavyweight on this planet and he’s the best heavyweight of this era. If guys like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua can’t put a dent in him, no one’s going to be able to put a dent in him I’m afraid,” Harrison told Sky Sports.
“Rico’s going to have to throw a few leg kicks if he wants to get one over on him in there!
“Again Rico’s a legend in kickboxing. Guys like that who paved the way in kickboxing have been the GOATs [greatest of all time] in their generation, they deserve to get these sort of paydays and these sort of chances to showcase what they can do and get some big money.”