It has been announced when Usyk will step into the ring against Verhoeven
The bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven is scheduled for May 23, but the exact time of the Ukrainian’s entrance into the ring is being pushed back further and further due to a packed undercard. The main event of the evening is expected to start after midnight Kyiv time.
Ukrainian fans are in for a long-awaited event—on May 23, Oleksandr Usyk returns to the ring to face Rico Verhoeven, who is known as one of the world’s strongest kickboxers and is now trying to prove himself in professional boxing as well; the bout itself will take place near the pyramids in Giza.
In this fight, Verhoeven is challenging for the WBC belt held by Usyk, and the event has already generated significant interest, as the organizers have prepared a major boxing evening featuring a long undercard and numerous international bouts. The undercard features fights between athletes from the UK, the US, Japan, France, Ukraine, and other countries, and the bout that is drawing the most attention from Ukrainian fans is that of Daniel Lapin, who will also step into the ring this evening.
Before the main event of the evening, spectators can look forward to a series of fights, including Hamza Shiraz vs. Alem Begic, Jack Catterall vs. Shahram Giyasov, Frank Sanchez vs. Richard Torres Jr., and other bouts that will significantly extend the show’s duration.
Because of this, the exact time of Usyk’s entrance into the ring remains uncertain: initially, it was said to be 11:00 PM Kyiv time, later 11:45 PM; however, according to LuckyPunch, the start of the main event may be pushed back even later—to around 12:50 AM.
Thus, fans will have to wait until late at night, as everything will depend on the duration of the preliminary bouts and the pace of the boxing event held at one of the world’s most famous historical locations.
Prior to this, Usyk and Verhoeven held a joint pre-fight press conference and another stare-down, where they openly expressed respect for one another but also their readiness for a tough fight. Both athletes emphasized that despite their different disciplines, they are united by a love of combat and competition.
The fight is expected to be broadcast in Ukraine on the Kyivstar TV platform, and the bout itself is already being called one of the most intriguing matchups between representatives of different fighting styles in recent years.
Usyk willface Rico Verhoeven; here’s what we know about the kickboxer.
Usyk showed a promotional video for the fight with Verhoeven ahead of the bout.
Usyk has completedhis preparations for the fight against Verhoeven.
Oliynikova has made it into the main draw of the WTA tournament in Strasbourg
Svitolina set a historic age record in women’s tennis.
