Tony Bellew Says Rico Verhoeven Is “A Problem” For Oleksandr Usyk

Tony Bellew believes Rico Verhoeven could give Oleksandr Usyk uncomfortable moments early, but he still expects the unbeaten heavyweight champion to eventually figure him out once the fight settles into a boxing match. Bellew also warned that Verhoeven’s kickboxing background makes him far more dangerous than many boxing fans realize.

“If this were a kickboxing match, I’m telling you, Oleksandr’s in an awful lot of trouble. Do not take a kick off him,” said Bellew to DAZN Boxing. “Thankfully for Oleksandr Usyk, this is a boxing match. I think once them first three or four rounds pass and that awkwardness and stance and style Oleksandr Usyk figures out, I think Rico could be in for a hard night’s work.

“Rico Verhoeven is a problem. He’s a problem, and we don’t actually know much about him from a boxing perspective. We know nothing really. He’s had one bout, and you cannot take anything from that at all. His kickboxing experience tells you an awful lot.”

Bellew said during an interview previewing the Usyk-Verhoeven fight that Verhoeven’s unorthodox style could create difficult moments before Usyk starts making adjustments.

“You would forgive him for thinking this guy’s a kickboxer. I’m not going to have to be 100% to beat this guy, just as Tyson Fury thought against Francis Ngannou,” said Bellew. “Or will he take the Anthony Joshua approach when you go in there and go, ‘This is a serious fight. I’ve got to get rid of this guy.’

“I don’t believe he will take him lightly. Usyk is the perfect professional. He’s a diligent professional. You will never catch this guy sleeping. You have to get out of bed really, really early to catch him out.”

Bellew still made clear he sees Usyk eventually taking control once he gathers enough information during the fight.

“I think this fight will be very exciting for the six, seven, maybe eight rounds it goes. I think Oleksandr will have a look at Rico. He’ll download what he’s doing. He’ll figure out what the feints will do to him, which side he’ll draw him on.

“Once he’s downloaded all this, he’ll get rid of Verhoeven. He’ll just have too much, and that’s the way it will go. He does the same to everybody else,” said Bellew.

 

Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist who has covered the sport since 2014, providing ringside reporting and technical analysis of major bouts. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments, and the details that shape high-level competition.

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Last Updated on 2026/05/18 at 11:10 PM