Eddie Hearn says Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven is capable of earning one of the greatest upsets in boxing history this weekend, stressing: “The reason he’s done what he’s done is because he’s not a normal man”.
The declaration comes as the $10 TAB outsider also now finds himself carrying an emotional link to boxing’s most famous boilover – James ‘Buster’ Douglas upsetting Mike Tyson as a 42/1 underdog – after drawing inspiration from his late mother, who passed away during camp for what is now biggest fight of his life.
Usyk v Rico | Sunday May 24 from 3am AEST | Heavyweight icon Oleksandr Usyk returns, headlining an unmissable event against legendary kickboxer Rico Verhoeven, at the famous Egyptian Pyramids | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports >
Widely regarded as one of the greatest kickboxers of all time, Verhoeven is looking to make history in a huge crossover blockbuster against no less than Oleksandr Usyk, and in front of the Pyramids of Giza.
Currently, the Dutchman is a $10 TAB outsider to upset the heavyweight king.
Usyk, meanwhile, has been wound into only $1.04.
Sportsbet, meanwhile, has Verhoeven at $14, while Las Vegas oddsmakers have him as wide as +1360.
Paro ready to be the ‘Croc Hunter’ | 00:41
Way back in 1990, ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked the world when he famously kayoed Tyson – aka, The Baddest Man on the Planet – inside the Tokyo Dome.
Only 23 days beforehand, Douglas’s mother, Lula Pearl, died of a stroke aged just 46 – a tragedy which the American would later say played an emotional role in his win.
Douglas revealed he had promised his mother he would beat Tyson shortly before she passed, with the fighter then attending her funeral just days before flying to Japan for the biggest night of his life.
Speaking years later in a documentary about the win, Douglas revealed how it was Lula’s death that inspired him, saying: “I knew she was looking down, happy, saying, ‘I told you, my baby did it.’
“I wasn’t taking no bulls***. This was a different night, baby.”
Now this week, Verhoeven has opened up about losing his own mother during camp for the biggest fight of his life, and after paying an emotional tribute by recreating a picture of her at the Pyramids of Giza.
After facing off with Usyk in front of the ancient landmark a few days back, Verhoeven then posed up for a picture in the same place his mother did over 30 years ago.
Having revealed that she died while he was in camp, Verhoeven said he came across the pictures shortly after she passed away.
“Within this camp, my mother passed away,” he told Matchroom Boxing. “How is it a positive thing? It is not.
“But I have to do something with it to make it easier for me to cope with.
“She passed away and we had to clean out her house. And what happened is, we came by pictures of her being in Egypt. Like, how crazy is that?
“So I wanted to recreate that exact picture.
“I wanted to be in that spot where she was 30 years prior. Being there was … I don’t know, man, it was just… it was so special. It was so special.”
Verhoeven has since shared the images on Instagram, with the caption: “Dear mom, here in Egypt thinking about you. With tears in my eyes I’m writing this because I miss you.
“I feel your presence, thank you for being my guardian angel. You and dad better be watching next week. But I know you will and you’ll protect me. We’ll see each other again. I love you.”
Already this week, American heavyweight Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller has publicly backed Verhoeven to shock the world. And now Hearn has given his take on a task which, the famed UK promoter concedes, is “on paper impossible”.
Speaking with ESPN this week, Hearn said that while Verhoeven faces huge odds, an upset in one of boxing history’s most extravagant backdrops is not out of the question.
Quizzed on the unique main event, Hearn started: “The fight on paper is an impossible mountain to climb for Rico Verhoeven.
“No … I’ll re-phrase that … (impossible) for the normal man.
“But the reason he’s done what he’s done is because he’s not a normal man.
“Oleksandr Usyk is not just one of the greatest fighters of this generation, but greatest examples to any young fighter, athlete, in terms of the work ethic and mindset.
“I thank [Usyk] and his team for allowing [Anthony Joshua] into that camp. What I’ve seen up close is the reason he’s undefeated, on top of the game.
“Tomorrow night, this man [Verhoeven], whose arms are like the normal man’s thighs, has an opportunity to, let’s be honest, forge one of the greatest upsets in the history of boxing.
“It might not be to him … but it will be on paper if he was to do it.
“And I’ll tell you something, if there was ever anything dramatic, ever anything strange to happen, it’s going to happen at the foot of the Pyramids in Egypt.”
Speaking with The Ring this week, the underdog also spoke about readying to not only fight the greatest heavyweight alive, but honour his late mum.
“That was definitely something quite special,” Verhoeven said of recreating the photograph.
“I was really thankful that I got the time to do that, to experience that and really be in that moment and create that.
“Especially these last years, it was hard for her to be at the events. A lot of times she was just watching on TV, and I know now she’s with me everywhere, so that’s a really nice and comfortable feeling. I feel blessed to have her as my guardian angel right now.”
Verhoeven added that having his mother as his guardian angel has given him strength.
“I don’t have to worry about anything,” he continued. “I know the people that I love are here. It’s just enjoying the ride.”
The two fighters met at the final news conference in Cairo on Thursday and Verhoeven insisted he will present Usyk with a unique challenge.
“I’m bringing something that he hasn’t seen before because he’s only faced boxers. And they’ve been boxing their whole life — I haven’t,” Verhoeven said.
“So it’s just a whole different approach. It’s God’s will.
“How we’re going to win? We’ll see. If it’s a knockout, it’s a knockout. If it’s a decision, it’s a decision.
“If it comes to a decision and I win… wow.”