Oleksandr Usyk says Rico Verhoeven was the toughest opponent of his Boxing career

I’d put a large sum of money on AJ hitting harder than Rico with any punch that’s legal to throw in boxing.

 

AJ has the cheat code that Usyk doesn’t. He’s always got the chance to make a fight look easy due to that.

 

Not a very good cheat code if it couldn't get him past Dubios, but sure, I guess he'll have a punchers chance.

Which is a bit sad really.

 

Means sweet FA if he can't land it.

 

Can't see Ruiz troubling Usyk at all. Even the Ruiz that beat Joshua. Ruiz gets outboxed by everyone... even made Joshua look like a slick technician in the 2nd fight (even though people didn't particularly like the way AJ fought). Taylor-made for Usyk in my view, would be an easy night's work. Range wouldn't trouble Usyk either as he has small T-Rex arms, haha. Got outboxed by ancient Ortiz, was only the fact that Ortiz can't stay up from even a jab nowadays which won Ruiz the fight. You play into Ruiz's hands when you try and trade with him, as Joshua found out to his peril in the first.

 

Ruiz had sneaky fast hands and just caught AJ off guard. I think AJ was looking ahead to Wilder at the time. Usuk is just a better boxer than AJ. Dubois caught AJ who had been on the slide. The AJ beat Wlad stops Dubois.

Rico would get brutally stopped by AJ. Brutally.

 

Nothing AJ has shown recently indicates that, and there's always an excuse when he loses. When AJ gets demolished by Fury, there'll be another excuse I'm sure.

AJ just doesn't have it anymore. His recent opposition proves that not even he believes in himself anymore.

 

Fury is a real boxer, Rico is not. Those fights will/would look nothing alike

 

I tend to believe it, Rico was winning rounds and pushing him all the way. Maybe Usyk was under prepared and sure he is old but Rico came right after him. Lots of guys fight Usyk and freeze and are in awe of his ability and Rico just did not give a **** and just kept coming and walking through punches and landed lots of hard right hands of his own.

Whether you think the boxers tend to underestimate or clown with the non boxers these crossover fights have typically been awkward affairs often more competitive than initially thought

 

Rico proved his skills against Usyk and did better than AJ (with AJ having two cracks at it).

I don't see AJ fighting Rico in any case, he has his tune up against a random Albanian followed by his cash out against Fury.

 

Seems like most boxers blatantly lie about who was their toughest fight.

 

Usyk's press conference post-Rico. It's translated from Ukrainian:

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Only realised from watching this video that the lad completed a masters and PhD in psychology and law in the last few years. His defensive prowess has enabled him to keep his brain cells and he might just be able to use it properly after boxing. Good on him. Obviously the content of his translated interview has a very different character to his interviews in English

 

Usyk would notice personal decline, and there are numerous yard sticks.