Oleksandr Usyk says he is treating Rico Verhoeven like a serious heavyweight threat, even if Saturday’s fight at the Pyramids of Giza looks more like a Hollywood concept than a standard title defense.
Verhoeven is a long-reigning kickboxing champion but has boxed only once professionally, while Usyk has already beaten Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois twice each. Still, the Ukrainian insists his preparation has not changed. “The opponent might be different but my preparations are not different,” Usyk said. “I train like I'm fighting Tyson Fury or Daniel Dubois, because for me it's a serious fight. It's not fake. For me it's not a show, it's a fight.”
Usyk, who holds the WBC, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles, also made clear that his career is close to the finish line. The 39-year-old does not plan to retire immediately after Verhoeven, but he sees only a few fights left. “I will not stop my career after I fight Rico - I have two, maybe three, fights more,” Usyk said. He also hinted at a wider plan beyond boxing, saying: “I build a plan in future for this fight - I have a secret plan. I want to build a business - this is one of my last fights, but I build [a] big show.”
The champion also reflected on the last time he lost, an amateur defeat to Egor Mekhontsev in 2009. Usyk said that setback pushed him to rebuild his discipline and change his life. “Making mistakes is not bad but if you don't change then the mistake is bad,” he said. His family also shifted his mindset, especially the birth of his first daughter. “Then I looked at this mini person and thought ‘OK, I need to change my life, because I'm now not just an athlete and boxer, now I'm husband and father.’”
With acting and business possibly waiting after boxing, Usyk is already thinking about life beyond the ropes. But ahead of Verhoeven, the message is still pure fighter: he may be close to the end, but he is not treating this as an exhibition.
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