Kickboxing champion says he has trained with Peter Fury for fifteen years
Rico Verhoeven says criticism of his upcoming WBC title fight with Oleksandr Usyk ignores years spent training in boxing gyms. The kickboxing champion responded by pointing to a long relationship with trainer Peter Fury.
Rico Verhoeven built his reputation in kickboxing, where he spent years ruling the GLORY heavyweight division. The Dutch champion compiled a 66-10 record with 21 knockouts during that run. His only professional boxing appearance came in 2014, when he defeated Hungarian debutant Janos Finfera.
The move into a WBC heavyweight title fight with Oleksandr Usyk has drawn criticism, largely because Verhoeven has spent most of his career outside traditional boxing ranks. He will enter the bout as a crossover challenger against one of the most accomplished champions in the sport.
A recently surfaced video has also reminded observers that Verhoeven has shared the ring with elite heavyweights before. The footage shows him sparring Tyson Fury in 2015 during Fury’s preparation for his title fight with Wladimir Klitschko. In the session, Fury circles behind his long jab while Verhoeven holds the center of the ring and attempts to close distance and land.
Verhoeven has responded directly to the criticism, pointing to his long history of training in boxing gyms and working alongside experienced trainers.
Discussing the criticism and his connection with Peter Fury, Verhoeven told Ariel Helwani:
“The transition from being a kickboxer to boxing — I’ve been boxing for the last 15 years.
Everybody’s like, ‘Oh, Peter Fury has been added to Team Rico.’ Guys, I’ve been training with Peter Fury for the last 15 years.”
Verhoeven explained that the relationship began years ago when he joined Tyson Fury’s training camps as a sparring partner.
“Back in the day, just coming as a sparring partner for Tyson Fury, and just being there constantly, putting in the work, and getting better. Turning from a sparring partner into a training partner. That’s also one of the key elements that made me such a good kickboxer.”
The heavyweight kickboxing champion now prepares for the biggest opportunity of his combat sports career when he steps into the ring with Usyk for the WBC belt.
