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WBC reveals “King of the Nile” belt for Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven

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Image: WBC Reveals “King Of The Nile” Belt For Usyk Vs. Rico Verhoeven

Mauricio Sulaiman unveils an Egyptian-inspired souvenir belt for the “Glory at Giza” event on May 23

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WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman on Friday unveiled a custom “King of the Nile” commemorative belt for the upcoming Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven in Egypt. The belt will be awarded to the winner of the “Glory at Giza” event, which will take place on May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza.

The huge red centerpiece resembles a ruby-style ceremonial gem. If only there was a stone a true museum-grade ruby at this apparent size, the value of the belt can augment dramatically, causing sedate transportation, insurance and safety issues. A high-end natural stone could theoretically be worth more than the combined cost of producing the rest of the bar.

For a one-off WBC commemorative item associated with a Saudi-backed Pyramids event, a production cost of an amount of several thousand dollars wouldn’t be surprising.

Design inspired by the Egyptian style

The belt continues the WBC’s recent trend of creating location-inspired championship designs tied to major events, although this version may be one of the most detailed yet issued by the sanctioning body.

The center plate features a mighty Egyptian influence throughout the design, including the winged symbol of Horus extending across the top of the band with a huge red gem placed in the center. The gold background is covered with geometric patterns reminiscent of antique carvings, while the lower part contains symbols of flails and flails associated with Egyptian pharaohs and royal power.

The WBC’s classic ring of international flags remains around the outer border, combining the organization’s standard championship imagery with Egyptian-inspired graphics.

Sulaiman discovers the belt

Usyk enters the fight as the unified heavyweight champion and WBC titleholder, while Verhoeven moves from kickboxing into one of the most high-profile crossover fights boxing has attempted in recent years.

The event itself has already attracted attention for its location and spectacle-driven presentation, and the WBC’s latest commemorative belt seems to fit that theme. Instead of solely using a classic layout, the organization turned the bar into a visual centerpiece tied directly to the Egyptian setting and “King of the Nile” branding surrounding the fight.

Last update: 2026/05/09 at 12:13

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Carl Froch Evaluates Conor Benns Odds Against Ryan Garcia Before Fight Announcement

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Carl Froch Evaluates Conor Benn's Odds Against Ryan Garcia Before Fight Announcement

Carl Froch has assessed the chances of Conor Benn pulling off a sizable upset against Ryan Garciawho he is expected to face in September.

Their welterweight showdown was reportedly set to be announced on Friday, with Dana White inviting both fighters to the stage at a UFC weigh-in.

According to boxing journalist Dan Rafael, however, there are still some issues that must be ironed out on Garcia’s sidewhich concern the involvement of DAZN and Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy.

Benn, meanwhile, has reportedly completed his side of the agreement to challenge for Garcia’s WBC world title in Las Vegas on September 12.

The 29-year-old signed with White’s Zuffa Boxing earlier this year, before unanimously outpointing a faded Regis Prograis over 10 rounds in April.

Yet it seems the promotional and broadcast situation for his clash with Garcia – expected to be streamed on Netflix – is far from straightforward, being that the WBC champion seemingly has an existing contract with Golden Boy and DAZN.

If it does go ahead, though, then Froch has suggested on his YouTube channel that Garcia would prove too skilled for his less proven opponent, giving Benn just a 30% chance of victory.

“This one is exciting, because you get to find out where Conor Benn belongs. Does he belong at world level?

“Ryan Garcia … Would you say he’s an elite-level champion? He’s been down, he’s been beat, [but] you’ve got to say he’s world-class.

“So this is a massive step-up for Conor Benn. I’m not sure it’s the fight he will win. He probably can win it, if he gets the tactics right, but it’s a really tough ask.

“He’s the underdog – he’s probably 70/30 against.”

Garcia claimed his WBC title by dethroning Mario Barrioswho he floored in the opening round before winning their February encounter by unanimous decision.

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Tony Bellew Warns Moses Itauma to Steer Clear of One Heavyweight: Dont Go Near Him

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"Tony Bellew Warns Moses Itauma to Steer Clear of One Heavyweight: 'Don't Go Near Him'"

Tony Bellew has advised Moses Itauma against facing an opponent who, based on his superior experience, could become the first man to drag him into deep waters.

The heavyweight prodigy already has his hands full, of course, as he will face seasoned veteran Filip Hrgovic at London’s O2 Arena on August 29.

On paper, this is undoubtedly his toughest test thus far, with Hrgovic’s only professional defeat having come via an eighth-round stoppage against Daniel Dubois in June 2024.

Itauma, on the other hand, has never made it past six rounds, but was close to doing so before dispatching Jermaine Franklin with a fifth-round finish in March.

Having cemented himself as a formidable knockout artist, the 21-year-old is now ranked No.1 with both the WBO and WBA, seemingly closing in on a major opportunity.

According to former world champion Bellew, though, the talented southpaw should steer well clear of Oleksandr Usykwho relinquished his WBC, IBF and WBA belts last month.

Even at the age of 39, and after having to grind out a 11th-round stoppage against Rico Verhoeven in May, the Ukrainian is still the lineal heavyweight champion and, more generally, a generational great.

For this reason, Bellew has told Fight Your Corner that, even at this stage in their careers, Itauma is not ready for an elite competitor like Usyk.

“Moses [shouldn’t] go near him at the minute. I think that it would be absolutely insane to throw Moses Itauma into [an] Usyk [fight] after not going past six [rounds] yet.

“Would you throw a fighter like that in with someone like [Usyk]? [Usyk’s] game plan would be, ‘I have only got to see past six rounds with you, kid. I am going to take you to places that you have never been’.”

While a matchup between Usyk and Itauma has been widely discussed, it does appear that the two southpaws will ultimately go their separate ways.

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Miguel Berchelt Aims for Fifth Consecutive Comeback Victory on August 29

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Miguel Berchelt Aims for Fifth Consecutive Comeback Victory on August 29
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The 12-round bout headlines a Coliseo Promotions “Noche Suprema” card that will be streamed live on YouTube.

“I am very motivated to fight in Hermosillo, my hometown for the last 15 years,” Berchelt told The Ring. “I want to show all my fans that there is more ‘Alacran’ Berchelt for many years.”

Berchelt (42-3, 37 KOs) enjoyed one of the sport’s strongest runs at 130 pounds after stopping Francisco “Bandido” Vargas in the 11th round to capture the WBC title in January 2017. He followed that victory with six successful title defenses, defeating former champion Takashi Miura and stopping Vargas in their rematch, Miguel Roman, and Jason Sosa during his reign.

His momentum came to a halt in February 2021 when Oscar Valdez knocked him out in the 10th round to claim the WBC belt. Less than a year later, Berchelt moved up to lightweight and suffered another stoppage loss, retiring after six rounds against Jeremia Nakathila.

Since then, the 34-year-old has quietly rebuilt his career with four consecutive victories, all in Mexico. Although the opposition has been modest, the winning streak has kept alive hopes that the former champion still has something to offer after years of punishing battles.

Cordoba (7-1, 4 KOs) enters the fight after scoring a second-round knockout in May. The Colombian has competed above his natural weight in recent outings and now steps in against the most accomplished opponent of his career.

A victory would extend Berchelt’s comeback to five straight wins as he attempts to work his way back into contention nearly a decade after beginning his title-winning run against Vargas.

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