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How Jason Statham helped Rico Verhoeven in his fight against Oleksandr Usyk

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He didn’t know it at the time, but a chance meeting with Jason Statham a few years ago in London led one day to Rico Verhoeven fighting Oleksandr Usyk for the world heavyweight title.

Verhoeven, a kickboxing champion who held the GLORY heavyweight title for over a decade and is undefeated since 2015, will face Usyk on May 23 in Egypt, in front of the Pyramids of Giza.

“Glory of Giza: Undefeated Icons,” promoted by Ring Magazine, is the latest mega crossover fight the boxing world is becoming accustomed to.

The exhibit itself will be impressive enough, but the fact that it has the lend a hand of an A-list star adds a little more magic to the event. According to Verhoeven, it was Statham, a Hollywood superstar known to be a combat sports fan, who contacted him and asked him to stop by while they were both in London.

Verhoeven, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound beast who has dominated his sport for years, has also dabbled in the film business, appearing in several action films and most recently working on

Mutual friends contacted them and Verhoeven drove over an hour to catch up with Statham.

“It was so cold that we just said yes,” Verhoeven tells ESPN. “You know, sometimes you just have a certain energy that just fits with people, and that’s what we had. We just kept in touch from then on.”

Their paths crossed again in Riyad, Saudi Arabia, when Usyk fought Tyson Fury.

“He was like bro; you have to be here! This has to happen,” the Dutchman continues. “He started talking to His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority] about me, he just planted the seed.”

Rapid forward to last September in Las Vegas, and Statham, who has been a regular in the ring alongside Alalshikh during the biggest fights of the last two years, was on hand for Canelo Alvarez’s fight against Terence Crawford. According to Verhoeven, he again gave Alalshikh the idea of ​​having the kickboxing great take part in his own mega fight.

“Sunday morning Amsterdam time, I’m running on the treadmill, Jason calls,” Verhoeven explains. “I said, ‘Bro, I’m on the track, I’ll call you [back]. He said, “Listen, snail-paced down.” I talked [Alalshikh] is at the bottom; he loves it. He’s watched all your fights and he wants to do something. I’ve given him your contact details and his team will be in touch.

“So yes, he is [Statham] there was glue.”

Preparations are underway for the Anthony Joshua fight, almost confirmed and scheduled for March, and Verhoeven’s name came up at the post-fight press conference following Joshua’s victory over Jake Paul in November.

However, Joshua’s involvement in a December 31 car crash that killed two of his friends left Verhoeven and the British heavyweight’s career in limbo. It was back to the drawing board for Verhoeven, who was still desperate for a substantial fight.

He had offers from the UFC, but his goal was boxing, which was more suited to his skills. His team decided to present the idea of ​​​​fighting Usyk to Alalshikh.

Why not?

“He is a champion, I am a champion in my discipline, let’s talk about it,” says Verhoeven. “I called them and said, ‘I have an idea, I just want to pitch it… Just let me know what you think.

“I hear, ‘I love it.’

“The rest is history. They talked about it [Usyk]he was excited about it and said, “I love it too, let’s do it.”

Verhoeven, a kickboxing icon who will go down in history as one of the best in the history of the sport, will fight the elite heavyweight boxer in the world, but it will be a fight for the real title, and the WBC will confirm that their belt will be on the line.

The fight divided the boxing world, but it is another showcase that will draw attention to the sport.

And against the background of historic pyramids, it will certainly look like from a movie.

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Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2: Round-by-Round Live Updates and Results

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Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2: Round-by-Round Live Updates and Results

Daniel Dubois will face Fabio Wardley in a rematch of a heavyweight slugfest from earlier this year, with Dubois defending the WBO heavyweight title he took from Wardley on that night.

Live coverage will kick off at 2 pm ET, and we’ll have results and updates during the four-fight, main card undercard, then live, round-by-round scoring and updates for the main event itself.

How to watch Dubois vs Wardley 2

Start time: 2:00 pm ET for main card, prelims begin at 11:00 am ET

Streaming: DAZN (Ultimate subscription or Pay-Per-View)

PPV Cost: As a standalone, one-off purchase Pay-Per-View, the price is $59.99 (or £24.99). With DAZN’s Ultimate tier, the show is included as part of your subscription.

Location: O2 Arena – London, England

Dubois vs Wardley 2 full undercard and running order

Live Stream: Dubois vs Wardley 2 Prelims

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Mannix and Mora Support Fabio Wardley in Quest for Vengeance

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"Mannix and Mora Support Fabio Wardley in Quest for Vengeance"

Fabio Wardley can turn his early success against Daniel Dubois into a rematch victory if he avoids exhausting himself chasing the finish. He proved he could hurt Dubois in their first fight. The harder task is keeping control when an opponent he has dropped continues coming forward.

Wardley scored two early knockdowns before Dubois recovered and stopped him. That leaves an opening for a different result, although better pacing alone may not be enough to prevent another punishing night.

Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora both back Wardley to win again on Saturday, with Mannix choosing him by stoppage. Mora believes Wardley’s eagerness to finish Dubois helped undo his promising start.

“If he just doesn’t punch himself out, he thinks about setting up that right hand, doesn’t get right hand happy,” Mora said to DAZN Boxing.

That is the adjustment Wardley needs to make under pressure. Once Dubois survived his biggest punches, Wardley needed something beyond another loaded right hand. Working behind his jab and putting punches together would give him more ways to attack without spending everything on a single finish.

Dubois deserves credit for surviving those knockdowns and returning to his jab. Mora believes his previous defeats helped him stay composed when Wardley hurt him. Wardley now has his own experience of a fight turning against him.

“I think he’ll be smarter after this fight. I think he’ll learn some lessons,” Mannix said. “I think Wardley wins by stoppage in this fight.”

Mannix’s biggest concern is what the first beating took out of Wardley. Learning the tactical lesson does not guarantee he will absorb Dubois’ punches the same way in the rematch.

Wardley’s power gives their picks a credible foundation. He has already put Dubois down twice. To complete the job, he needs to create another opening without allowing the pursuit of a knockout to leave him exhausted and exposed again.

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Boxing247.com is an independent boxing news publication covering the sport since 2001. It provides original reporting, fight analysis, schedules, results, and informed coverage of major fighters and events worldwide, backed by more than 25 years of professional boxing journalism.

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Fabio Wardleys Team Advocates for Strict Foul Monitoring Against Daniel Dubois

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"Fabio Wardley's Team Advocates for Strict Foul Monitoring Against Daniel Dubois"

Fabio Wardley’s team wants tighter control of Daniel Dubois’ head-first attacks in Saturday’s rematch, with manager Michael Ofo calling for stronger officiating after their first fight.

The concern is about Wardley being able to punch without Dubois driving into him with his head. Those collisions can interrupt an attack, knock a fighter out of position, and make him hesitate before throwing again.

Dubois recovered from two knockdowns to stop Wardley in May and take the WBO heavyweight title. Ahead of their return at London’s O2 Arena, Ofo has accused the champion of leading with his head and using a tackle during that fight.

“We’re calling for a stronger referee, because it’s needed,” Ofo told Sky Sports Boxing.

Dubois’ trainer Don Charles rejected the criticism, describing the opposing camp’s complaints as “insecurity and weakness.”

Wardley’s camp has a reasonable case for asking the referee to watch those entries closely. When Dubois comes forward behind his punches, head contact can make it difficult for Wardley to plant his feet and counter. Intent is difficult to establish, but repeated collisions still need attention.

That becomes especially important if Wardley hurts Dubois again. He needs the opportunity to follow up without a foul interrupting his work and giving the champion time to recover.

However, Wardley cannot build his approach around the referee intervening. His jab has to give Dubois something to get past, and combinations would make him less predictable than loading up on individual power shots. Moving after punching could also reduce the opportunities for Dubois to drive into him.

Wardley showed he could hurt Dubois in the first fight. The harder task is turning those moments into a finish while avoiding another punishing battle at close range. Firmer officiating could help, but his own adjustments will have to do most of the work. Wardley cannot rely on the third man to solve that puzzle.

If Dubois is going to be stopped from barreling in head-first, Wardley has to make the physical cost of doing so intolerable, just like Oleksandr Usyk did.

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BoxingNews24.com has delivered independent boxing coverage since 2007, including original news, fight analysis, schedules, and results. Our experienced boxing writers cover major fighters and events worldwide, with published content reviewed by editors for accuracy.

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