This is a world heavyweight title fight in the shadow of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – a backdrop so spectacular it almost distracts from how extraordinary, and frankly bizarre, the contest itself is.
Details of the fight’s location are light, other than that it will be “under the shadow of ancient giants”.
But no matter the location, this will be a mammoth mismatch. And that is not said lightly during a time that has already given us Anthony Joshua v Jake Paul. At least that was framed as spectacle. This is for the WBC heavyweight title.
Verhoeven had been loosely linked with a bout against Joshua before the Briton’s car crash in December. But there is a vast difference between a crossover curiosity and a sanctioned world-title challenge against a pound-for-pound great.
Usyk may be running out of credible dance partners, which perhaps explains it. But the heavyweight cupboard is not bare. He vacated his WBO title rather than face Fabio Wardley, while Agit Kabayel’s name has been repeatedly mentioned by fans craving a live, unbeaten contender with momentum. Instead, we are handed a boxing novice.
Tyson Fury was dropped and pushed to the brink by boxing debutant Francis Ngannou in 2023, who came close to one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history. So anything can happen in the ring, of course, but someone as methodical and disciplined as Usyk is unlikely to repeat Fury’s errors.
Even in this current era of boxing, where hype and profit can outweigh logic, this sits high on the “how did we get here?” list.