Declan Taylor: Usyk isn't in decline, Verhoeven upset unlikely

Oleksandr Usyk enters Saturday's heavyweight title defense against kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven looking sharper than ever, according to Ring Magazine columnist Declan Taylor, who rejected the notion that the 39-year-old Ukrainian is past his prime. Verhoeven, who has opened as wide as a 25-1 underdog for the May 23 bout in Egypt, would pull off one of the biggest upsets in boxing history if he wins in just his second professional fight.

Taylor pointed to Usyk's fifth-round stoppage of Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last July as evidence the champion remains at his peak. "This is not a man in decline," Taylor wrote in his column. "In fact, the victory at Wembley Stadium, which came two minutes into the fifth round, was Usyk's best and most destructive performance since he moved up to heavyweight in 2019." Taylor added that anyone suggesting Usyk has lost something over his two fights with Tyson Fury should be forced to rewatch the Dubois destruction.

What happens if Usyk wins in Egypt

The Ring Magazine piece explored where Usyk goes from here if he handles Verhoeven as expected. The champion has stated he wants to face the Fabio Wardley–Daniel Dubois winner to reclaim his WBO belt, though Taylor questioned whether a third Dubois meeting makes sense after Usyk stopped him twice. Promoter Frank Warren has threatened legal action if the WBC does not order the Egypt winner to face interim champion Agit Kabayel next, a matchup Taylor called sensible for all parties.

Verhoeven told Taylor last month that Saturday's fight is "just the tip of the iceberg" for his boxing career, positioning this as the launch of a serious heavyweight run. Taylor noted that path did not work out for Francis Ngannou, who finished 0-2 in boxing after two high-profile losses.

The Ring Magazine column also highlighted Hamzah Sheeraz's crack at the vacant WBO middleweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super middleweight title on the Usyk–Verhoeven undercard, with trainer Andy Lee managing three major fighters through crucial stretches. Sheeraz fights Alem Begic in what could be the third win in five weeks for Lee's stable after Ben Whittaker and Paddy Donovan both scored victories. "No pressure innit?" Sheeraz said. "Ben and Paddy have done the business. Now I've got to go and follow suit."

Source: ringmagazine.com