Roy Jones Jr has assessed Rico Verhoeven’s chances of winning a major title, picturing a scenario where he ends up facing Anthony Joshua for some version of the heavyweight championship.
The former long-reigning kickboxing champion was supposed to collide with ‘AJ’ earlier this year, only to instead secure a world title opportunity against Oleksandr Usyk.
This was only his second professional boxing match, yet Verhoeven nonetheless gave a tremendous account of himself last month, somehow managing to take Usyk into round 11.
It then came as a controversial result when Verhoeven was stopped on his feet following a heavy knockdown, with referee Mark Lyson waving him off after the bell had sounded.
At that point, the Dutchman had built a slight lead on one of the judges’ scorecards, making a mockery of the pre-fight betting odds while earning himself a No.8 ranking with the WBC.
Verhoeven could therefore find himself in another heavyweight title fight before long, but will he enjoy the same success that he did against Usyk?
Speaking with BettingLounge, Hall of Famer Jones suggested that a hard-hitting opponent like Joshua, for instance, is likely to pose greater problems than Usyk.
“Can Rico win a world title? You’ve got to remember, styles make fights. To me, Usyk has never been the most explosive puncher, but he is a brilliant boxer.
“Tyson Fury has never been the most explosive puncher, but he is a brilliant boxer as well. But guys like [Daniel] Dubois, Joshua, Moses [Itauma] – these guys can punch. So they’re going to find out what [Verhoeven] can take.
“I’m not going to just guarantee that he can win a title, because different styles make different fights.”
Another point to consider is that, while Verhoeven represented unfamiliar territory for Usyk, opponents can now use 11 rounds of footage to analyse his style.
Joshua could also seek additional intel from Usyk, given that he now shares a gym with the 39-year-old Ukrainian.
