Today’s truth: The truth is that if kicks were permitted Verhoeven would indeed be a dangerous opponent for Usyk on May 23, making Alalshikh right. However, given this is a boxing match and not a kickboxing match, we cannot view the fight through that fair and inclusive lens. In fact, the only reason Alalshikh chose to describe the fight the way he did – “Not fun, but a dangerous fight” – is because Mike Coppinger, one of his employees at The Ring, dared to get on his social media soapbox and tiptoe towards the truth. “Usyk has fought practically everyone at heavyweight, from four fights total with Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury to another two with Daniel Dubois, Derek Chisora, etc,” Coppinger wrote on February 27. “Yes, Wardley and Kabayel are deserving. But if Usyk wants to have some fun with a big spectacle, so be it.”
