The sparring footage shows Verhoeven on the front foot from the beginning. He walked Fury down, ignored the constant feints, and kept working to get close enough to land. Fury circled, jabbed, and flashed that Ali-style movement from the camp while Verhoeven continued stepping in without hesitation.
He also connected. Several right hands landed clean, and at times, Fury tied him as much as slow the advance. That willingness to push through the movement and accept the chance separated Verhoeven’s approach from what was seen in Düsseldorf later that yr.
The comparison with Klitschko’s performance later that yr is unavoidable. Klitschko approached the Düsseldorf fight cautiously, circling and waiting while rarely committing to sustained mixtures. Fury disrupted the rhythm with movement and activity and secured a call in a bout defined by limited engagement. The champion never asserted himself with authority.
Verhoeven’s instinct within the gym was different. He moved forward, tested range, and accepted exchanges fairly than conceding initiative. That disposition now becomes a part of the discussion because he’s scheduled to challenge Usyk on May 23 on the Pyramids of Giza in a WBC-sanctioned voluntary defense. Verhoeven enters with out a skilled boxing record, and the sanctioning framework permits champions to pick voluntary opponents outside the mandatory rotation, which is how this bout received approval.
Usyk is just the more polished fighter. He’s benefited from an extended amateur skilled profession, facing many high-level fighters. Rico doesn’t have any of that going for him and might want to give attention to using his power and toughness to attempt to win.
If Verhoeven stays on the surface, he’ll get picked apart by Usyk. His only real option is to get in Usyk’s face from the primary bell and cope with the punches he’ll take to get there. While that aggressive style can create openings and switch the fight right into a scrap, it’s exhausting to maintain up that form of intensity for half an hour against a champion who’s used to that level of fatigue.
Usyk is the favourite because he has the stamina to outlast anyone. Verhoeven’s shot at an upset depends entirely on how much impact he could make in the primary couple of minutes and if he can still throw with power once his lungs begin to burn within the later rounds.
UNSEEN FOOTAGE: With Rico Verhoeven set to fight Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC heavyweight title, relive when Verhoeven sparred Tyson Fury within the build-up to his conquer Wladimir Klitschko back in 2015 💥 pic.twitter.com/lsLZXQzzns
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) March 3, 2026