Usyk Enters Verhoeven Fight as -5000 Favorite at Egypt's Pyramids, Hearn Calls Task an Impossible Mountain
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Sports · May 22
Usyk Enters Verhoeven Fight as -5000 Favorite at Egypt's Pyramids, Hearn Calls Task an Impossible Mountain
9 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · May 22
Saturday's heavyweight bout at the Pyramids of Giza pits undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk, 24-0, against Rico Verhoeven, a decorated kickboxer with only one pro boxing win.
Caesars Sportsbook lists Usyk as high as a -5000 favorite, underscoring how little chance oddsmakers give Verhoeven of pulling off the upset.
Eddie Hearn said the matchup is "an impossible mountain to climb" for Verhoeven, while arguing his size, power and mentality make him unusual enough to at least threaten a historic shock.
Hearn also pointed to Anthony Joshua's time in Usyk's camp as evidence of why Usyk remains unbeaten and, in his view, the pound-for-pound No. 1.
Can a kickboxing legend’s power overcome the undisputed champion, or is this fight just a high-stakes spectacle?
What is the true price of staging a modern spectacle at an ancient wonder like the Pyramids of Giza?