HAND-PICKED MENTOR: WHY RICO VERHOEVEN TRUSTED PETER FURY FOR HIS BOXING DEBUT
Peter Fury, the man who guided Tyson to victory over Klitschko, is now training Rico Verhoeven to face Oleksandr Usyk in Egypt.
Tyson Fury’s shock win over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 didn’t just end a decade of heavyweight rule; it flipped the whole division on its head and kicked off a new era. Behind that night’s master plan was his uncle, Peter Fury, the sharp-minded trainer who now finds himself on the verge of pulling off something even bigger.
This time, Dutch kickboxing icon Rico Verhoeven, who’s only had one professional boxing fight, has picked Peter Fury to guide him as he gets ready to face unified heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk. The fight’s set for May 23, right by the Giza Pyramids in Egypt, with the Ring Magazine sponsoring the event.
Usyk’s WBA, IBF, and Ring belts aren’t on the line, but on Sunday, the WBC announced its title is up for grabs, even though Verhoeven’s pro boxing résumé is just a single bout.
DAZN will stream the fight exclusively.
Peter Fury jumped on social media to announce he’s heading to Holland for a full three-month camp. He sounded fired up: “It's going to be a great night. A lot of hard work to be done, but two great people and two great champions in their own right. What a privilege. Looking forward to this camp, and God will decide whatever happens.”
Verhoeven’s probably the most decorated heavyweight kickboxer out there, but he knows what he’s up against. Usyk hasn’t fought since knocking out Daniel Dubois last September to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champ. That’s not exactly an easy mountain to climb.
Verhoeven’s only pro boxing fight was back in 2014, when he stopped Janos Finfera in two rounds. Still, he’s kept his boxing sharp. Over the years, he’s built a solid relationship with Peter Fury and has made regular stops at Fury training camps. He’s even sparred with both Tyson and Peter’s son, Hughie Fury, who once held the British heavyweight title and challenged for a world title.
Now, with the biggest test of his career ahead, Verhoeven’s putting his faith in a trainer he knows and trusts, someone who knows how to handle heavyweight business.
REVENGE MISSION: EDDIE HEARN SIGNS UFC CHAMP TOM ASPINALL AFTER LOSING CONOR BENN
Eddie Hearn strikes back: Read about Tom Aspinall signing with Matchroom, Conor Benn’s $15M Zuffa deal, and the Dana White rivalry.
Dana White, the boss at UFC and the man behind Zuffa Boxing, just snagged Conor Benn away from Eddie Hearn. Although if we’re being honest, Benn did a lot of the heavy lifting himself with that $15 million price tag.
White was quick to celebrate, maybe a little too loudly, especially on the UFC side, but Hearn didn’t let him have the spotlight for long. Not even a week later, Hearn fired back by announcing he’d signed UFC heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall to the Matchroom Talent Agency.
This back-and-forth between Hearn and White is turning into one of the more interesting rivalries in combat sports right now.
Zuffa Boxing’s move to grab Benn for a one-fight, $15 million deal definitely made waves. Benn, after all, spent ten years fighting under Hearn’s banner before jumping ship. Hearn hasn’t been shy about how much the move stings, especially since he’s been trading barbs with White nonstop.
But Hearn’s not just sitting around feeling sorry for himself. He went public on Instagram, welcoming Aspinall to the Matchroom squad. “Welcome to the team, UFC Heavyweight Champ @tomaspinallofficial,” Hearn posted. “Time to get what’s yours @matchroomtalentagency.”
It’s just the latest shot in their ongoing feud. White’s been out there calling Hearn soft for getting emotional about Benn leaving. Hearn, never one to back down, fired back in an interview, saying White doesn’t care about his fighters at all.
“I hear people’s comments, like Dana White calling me names and Terence Crawford asking if I actually care about these guys,” Hearn said. “I’m not saying I’m perfect, but we’re not like Dana White and his crew. They don’t give a damn about the fighters.
“Have you ever seen Dana White show any emotion when someone wins? He just hands over the belt, does a press conference, then heads home to his mansion with a cigar and a glass of whisky, thinking, ‘Life is sweet; we just made $800 million this year.’”
So what do you think about Tom Aspinall teaming up with Hearn’s agency? Is this a good move for Aspinall, or is it going to cause problems down the line? Let’s hear your thoughts.
MAYWEATHER VS. PACQUIAO 2: CAN THE LAS VEGAS SPHERE BREAK REVENUE RECORDS?
Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2 at the Sphere! Read about the $4,000+ ticket prices, the 17,600 capacity, and new streaming rumours.
When it comes to the Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Manny Pacquiao rematch, the choice of venue, Las Vegas Sphere, changes the game. You just can’t rely on ticket sales the way you could back in 2015. There’s only so much space, and that puts a cap on one of the biggest money-makers from their first fight.
People are already throwing around some wild numbers about how much this rematch could pull in. They keep looking back at that first fight, which still holds the record for the highest-grossing boxing event ever.
Back then, they raked in about $72 million from just over 16,000 fans at the MGM Grand. The Sphere isn’t much bigger at best; you get 17,600 seats, and that’s if you squeeze in every last one. So, even if you max out the space, you’re only adding about 1,300 seats. That’s not a game-changer.
So, how do you make more money? It comes down to charging more for tickets. The 2015 fight already had an average ticket price north of $4,000. To top that, promoters need to crank up the prices for premium seats and VIP experiences.
Mayweather hasn’t fought since he stopped Conor McGregor in 2017. Pacquiao came back last year and fought Mario Barrios to a draw for the WBC welterweight title. Even now, both guys are still huge names. Their first fight had the whole world watching, and it paid off big time.
But this second act could look different. In 2015, the pay-per-view model pulled in a record 4.6 million buys in the U.S. This time, there’s talk about going with a streaming deal instead. If that happens, most of the money comes from broadcast rights and sponsorships, not just people splurging on tickets.
The Sphere itself will give the rematch a unique vibe. But with the limited number of seats, what really matters is how they price those tickets and how much they can bring in from media rights. The days of packing in way more fans for the gate are over, at least for this fight.
