{"id":199183,"date":"2026-05-21T20:32:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T20:32:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tahrir2day.com\/news\/2026\/05\/21\/usyk-opponent-verhoeven-not-a-normal-man-hearn\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T20:32:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T20:32:03","slug":"usyk-opponent-verhoeven-not-a-normal-man-hearn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tahrir2day.com\/news\/2026\/05\/21\/usyk-opponent-verhoeven-not-a-normal-man-hearn\/","title":{"rendered":"Usyk opponent Verhoeven ‘not a normal man’ – Hearn"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Promoter Eddie Hearn described Rico Verhoeven as “not a normal man” before the boxing novice’s world title shot against heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in Egypt on Saturday.<\/b><\/p>\n

Ukrainian Usyk – widely considered the greatest heavyweight of his era – will put his WBC title on the line against kickboxing legend Verhoeven.<\/p>\n

The bout, which will take place at the foot of the pyramids of Giza, is widely viewed as a major mismatch – with critics questioning why a world title is at stake.<\/p>\n

“The fight on paper is an impossible mountain to climb for Rico Verhoeven,” Matchroom promoter Hearn said.<\/p>\n

“No, I’ll rephrase that. For the normal man. But the reason he has accomplished what he’s accomplished, and the reason he’s done what he’s done, is because he’s not a normal man.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Verhoeven is a huge underdog and victory over Usyk would rank among the biggest shocks in boxing history, arguably surpassing Buster Douglas’ stunning win over Mike Tyson in Tokyo in 1990.<\/p>\n

The Dutchman won 66 of his 76 kickboxing fights and has not lost in more than 4,000 days. But the 37-year-old has had only one professional boxing bout – a stoppage win over a journeyman 12 years ago.<\/p>\n

Usyk, meanwhile, is one of boxing’s most decorated fighters; an Olympic gold medallist, undisputed cruiserweight champion and two-time undisputed heavyweight champion who remains unbeaten in 24 professional bouts.<\/p>\n

The 39-year-old wore a striking Egyptian-inspired white and gold outfit, complete with a cape and draped sleeves, though his answers did not match the extravagance of his attire. At one stage, he even appeared to be on a video call during the media-only event.<\/p>\n

When it was put to him that Verhoeven believes his lack of experience could bring an element of surprise Usyk has never faced before, the champion replied: “I have no idea how many rounds this will go. I’m not sad with 12 rounds. It’s normal. But I don’t know. When I have the chance, I’ll do it.”<\/p>\n

The contest will count as a defence of Usyk’s WBA ‘Super’ title and he would also lose his IBF belt if defeated, although Verhoeven is not eligible to win either championship.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Hearn’s promotional energy rescued an otherwise uneventful news conference that lacked tension between the fighters.<\/p>\n

“This giant of a guy, whose arms are like the normal man’s thighs, has an opportunity to – let’s be honest – produce one of the greatest upsets in the history of boxing,” Hearn said.<\/p>\n

“It might not be to him, but on paper it absolutely will be.”<\/p>\n

Verhoeven paid respect to his opponent and explained his decision to transition into boxing.<\/p>\n

“[It was] to be open-minded and to test myself and the curiosity of: can I still do that at this age? How can I immerse myself in the sport of boxing? How can I transition into that? And is that even possible at this age?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The challenger largely kept his cards close to his chest, though he suggested the ultimate achievement would be to outpoint one of boxing’s modern greats over 12 rounds.<\/p>\n

“If it’s a knockout, it’s a knockout. If it’s a decision, it’s a decision,” Verhoeven said.<\/p>\n

“If it comes to a decision and I get the win, wow. Then I faced the pound-for-pound fighter in the world for years and years and I beat him over 12 rounds. He tried everything and he couldn’t beat me. That would be the ultimate.”<\/p>\n

The obligatory face-off at the end lasted less than a minute and a half, and only ended when Hearn stepped between the fighters, before the heavyweights exchanged a respectful handshake.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Promoter Eddie Hearn described Rico Verhoeven as “not a normal man” before the boxing novice’s world title shot against heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in Egypt on Saturday. Ukrainian Usyk – widely considered the greatest heavyweight of his era – will put his WBC title on the line against kickboxing legend Verhoeven. The bout, which will […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-199183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nUsyk opponent Verhoeven 'not a normal man' - Hearn - Tahrir News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tahrir2day.com\/news\/2026\/05\/21\/usyk-opponent-verhoeven-not-a-normal-man-hearn\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Usyk opponent Verhoeven 'not a normal man' - Hearn\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Promoter Eddie Hearn described Rico Verhoeven as “not a normal man” before the boxing novice’s world title shot against heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in Egypt on Saturday. 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