The sanctioning body has nevertheless approved him because the challenger.
This isn’t an argument against Verhoeven’s athletic background. In kickboxing, his accomplishments are extensive. He held a version of the heavyweight championship for greater than a decade and defended it against elite opposition, constructing an extended reign across one other combat sport. He understands championship pressure and has spent years acting at the very best level available to him.
The problem is whether or not that history converts directly into eligibility for a world heavyweight title fight in boxing.
Usyk, now 39, reached his position through defined steps contained in the sport. After moving up from cruiserweight, he defeated established contenders and unified titles through high-level bouts. His recent run included two victories over Tyson Fury in Riyadh before he stopped Daniel Dubois inside five rounds to retain championship status. Each of those fights got here against ranked heavyweights operating inside boxing’s competitive order.
Verhoeven enters without that path. He has been absent from skilled boxing for greater than a decade and has not built recent rounds against modern heavyweights, moved through eliminators, or navigated a rating ladder under contemporary championship conditions. Even so, the WBC has deemed him suitable to compete for its belt.
The event itself explains a part of the calculation. Branded “Glory in Giza,” the fight will happen in Egypt and stream globally on DAZN under the direction of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. The size of the staging, the historic setting, and the financial backing position it as a destination event built for international reach fairly than a routine defense drawn from the contender queue.
Heavyweight championships have traditionally progressed through ranked challengers, eliminators, and ordered mandatory defenses. That system has never been rigid, however it has existed as a visual framework. Approving a crossover challenger with a single skilled boxing bout moves outside that framework and adjusts the usual being applied.
Supporters of the choice will point to Verhoeven’s credentials. He isn’t inexperienced in combat sports, neither is he unfamiliar with performing under championship pressure. Physically, he suits the division, and commercially, he brings a special audience segment to the event. From a promotional standpoint, the appeal is evident.
Sanctioning, nevertheless, is supposed to reflect competitive standing contained in the sport itself.
Usyk’s position complicates the image. After unifying and defending against established names, he operates with the liberty that usually involves long-reigning champions. Heavyweight titleholders historically select opponents based on reward and timing once they’ve cleared their primary field. A crossover opponent with limited boxing experience presents a special risk profile than a ranked contender with dozens of skilled bouts.
That adjustment doesn’t erase the legitimacy of the belt, however it does indicate how flexible the approval process can develop into when event scale and global reach enter the equation.
The heavyweight championship has long functioned as boxing’s symbolic center. Decisions about who competes for it reflect how the game weighs competitive order against industrial ambition. On this case, the emphasis clearly favors the event’s reach and spectacle.
Verhoeven earned his standing in kickboxing. Usyk earned his in boxing. On May 23 those careers intersect under heavyweight championship rules, and the event may succeed by itself terms.
Still, a fighter absent from skilled boxing for twelve years has been cleared to challenge for the game’s most visible prize. That fact alone tells you where heavyweight title approvals stand at this moment.