Rico Verhoeven’s trainer, Peter Fury, admits that the kickboxer will have to make the biggest upset in heavyweight history to defeat Oleksandr Usyk on May 23.

That’s more than heavyweight title victories such as Andy Ruiz vs. Anthony Joshua (2019), Lennox Lewis vs. Hasim Rahman (2001), George Foreman vs. Michael Moorer (1994), James “Buster” Douglas vs. Mike Tyson (1990), Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston and Foreman (1964 and 1974) and Leon Spinks vs. Ali (1978).

Douglas was a 42-1 outsider when he knocked out Tyson, while Ruiz was 25-1 when he recently stopped Joshua.

Verhoeven will also enter the ring in front of the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt to challenge WBC champion Usyk (24-0, 15 KO), but his trainer Fury has planned one of the biggest heavyweight shocks in recent history.

Fury was in his corner when his nephew Tyson Fury defeated Wladimir Klitschko and passed him, upset to win three world heavyweight titles in 2015, but believes Verhoeven (1-0, 1 KO) defeating the 39-year-old Usyk of Ukraine, like Klitschko, would be the biggest victory of his career.

“That would be above all other concerns,” Fury told ESPN.

“Everyone else was a boxer, but my man is a martial artist. It would be one of the biggest upsets in the history of boxing, it has to be because they were all established boxers or champions, and this will be Rico’s second professional boxing fight. In kickboxing, they have a different approach, but it’s boxing and things have to change.”

“They didn’t give Tyson a chance when he fought Klitschko, experts said he would only win two rounds. But the reality was different, and styles make fights. I can tell you that Rico doesn’t show up just for the money, he will put everything on the line. He has Mount Everest to conquer, but he’s not under pressure, neither am I. I just tell him to enjoy it, and if he loses, he can’t lose with a better person than Usyk.”

“We know Usyk is a phenomenal talent. I’m a realist and I will do everything I can with what we have. But if people write Rico off, they are completely wrong.

“It would be the biggest achievement for me personally because he’s a kickboxer beating the best heavyweight in the world. Tyson beating Klitschko was something special and emotional because he’s my nephew, but I’m also very close to Rico, so that would be special too.”

Verhoeven has held the GLORY kickboxing heavyweight title for more than a decade and is undefeated since 2015, but he will be a clear underdog in his first professional boxing fight since 2014 against ESPN Boxing No. 1 Usyk, who knocked out Daniel Dubois in his last fight to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

Usyk defeated former champions Joshua, Fury and Dubois twice in a professional career that saw him reign as the undisputed world heavyweight and cruiserweight champion after winning an Olympic gold medal as an amateur.

Peter Fury admits that Verhoeven’s best chance of victory will be a knockout punch against Usyk’s technically excellent boxing skills and deft movement.

“I think it will be very hard to beat Oleksandr Usyk on points,” Fury told ESPN.

“Looking for a substantial punch and a knockout could cost Rico, so we have to find a balance in that. He will do some boxing, he can box, but he has a mountain ahead of him because Usyk can take the shot and he hasn’t shown any weakness so far. I think he’s a great boxer and the eventual world champion.”

“You can have the best match plans in the world, but it’s about taking those plans to matches and seeing if they can be refined at a high level. Rico is versatile and a substantial heavyweight. He’s agile, has a lot of power, can be elusive and can box. He’s sparred with experienced heavyweights like my son Hughie, and a lot of people will be surprised by him.”

Verhoeven, who will be 37 on fight night, prepared with Fury for the Usyk fight at a camp near Rotterdam in his native Netherlands, but they have worked together for more than a decade.

The former heavyweight kickboxing champion is 6-foot-10 and 270 pounds and will have a height and weight advantage over the 6-foot-10 Usyk, who tipped the scales at 227 pounds in his last fight in July.