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Rico Verhoeven’s future in a substantial fight depends on Saudi Arabia’s money

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Image: Rico Verhoeven’s Big-Fight Future Depends On Saudi Money

“I don’t care if people didn’t know about it, but I knew we had a good chance against this guy,” Verhoeven told Ring Magazine. “I showed that I can fight and box, so I’m ready for anyone. I may not have hurt him, but I definitely surprised him with the way I approached him.”

Customary promoters would likely be interested in matching their heavyweights to Rico as he is now a recognizable name that attracts intrigue and attention. The problem is financial.

A fighter with a 1-1 boxing record who suffered a loss after a break would not typically have a huge guaranteed amount. If promoters pay Rico huge amounts of money and the event doesn’t generate enough pay-per-view purchases or ticket sales to cover both purses, they could lose heavily on the event.

Therefore, the season in Riyadh changes the equation. Saudi-backed events have shown a willingness to finance spectacle fights and absorb risks that time-honored organizers typically avoid. Rico’s value, the controversy surrounding the Usyk fight, and his kickboxing fan base still make him useful in this environment, even without an established boxing record.

Turki Alalshikh has already shown interest in a rematch between Usyk and Verhoeven after Usyk potentially faces WBC interim heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel next.

If a rematch is indeed part of the plan, it is unlikely that Rico will face risky opponents in the meantime. Pairing him with heavyweights such as Moses Itauma or Frank Sanchez would create unnecessary risks before a possible second fight with Usyk.

A loss to a legitimate challenger could erase the intrigue surrounding Rico’s performance against Usyk and significantly weaken the rematch storyline.

“I only want the biggest fights.” Verhoeven said. “The kickboxing chapter has closed. This is now a fresh chapter. The boxing chapter.”

“The Greatest Fights” are for promotional purposes only brief for greatest controls. At 37 years venerable and coming off an 11th-round loss, he doesn’t have the luxury of time to build a conventional boxing career from scratch.

These “biggest fights” will likely only become realistic if Saudi money is attached to them.

Outside of His Excellency, there is no market for him at the elite level. Customary promoters are not going to shell out millions for a kickboxer who has just been stopped, no matter how competitive he looked on the scorecards before Usyk fired him.

To regular boxing networks, he’s a high-risk, low-reward opponent who brings a unique style but lacks the basic boxing pedigree to draw huge numbers of casual pay-per-view viewers on his own.

If Riyadh Season loses interest in financing this type of glasses, its options will run out immediately. He will either take a dramatic pay cut to take on mid-major fighters on standard cards, or he will realize that the boxing experiment was a short-lived and lucrative venture and end it.

Unless Turki wants to give him a bone in exchange for a rematch or a fight with someone like Agit Kabayel, where else do you think he could turn for that kind of money?

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Gervonta Davis and Floyd Schofield are aiming for an autumn fight for the WBA lightweight title

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Image: Bradley Predicted Farmer's Knockout: "The High Hand Always Beats the Low Hand" Against Schofield

Mike Coppinger reported that negotiations between the camps had intensified, contracts had been exchanged, and the probable date of the fight was September or October.

If the fight is finalized, it will be his first appearance since his controversial majority draw with Lamont Roach Jr. earlier this year. The result ended Davis’ long winning streak and sparked debate among fans and analysts, with many believing Roach had done enough to secure the victory.

Meanwhile, Schofield will get the biggest opportunity of his newborn career. The 23-year-old fighter set an undefeated record for the organization, constantly climbing the rankings, thanks to which he took first place in the WBA lightweight division. Although Schofield has faced criticism from some observers for not facing elite opponents, a fight with Gervonta would provide an immediate opportunity to test himself against one of boxing’s biggest attractions.

Davis (31-0-1 (29 KO)) remains one of the sport’s most recognizable stars and a pay-per-view headliner, despite questions surrounding his latest outing. Before the Roach fight, the Baltimore native recorded stoppage victories over Frank Martin and Ryan Garcia, cementing his reputation as one of boxing’s most perilous fighters.

Schofield (19-0 (13 KO)) has repeatedly expressed interest in fighting the division’s top fighters. A victory over Tank would immediately change the lightweight world and elevate him from promising contender to world champion.

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Shakur Stevenson names the only fighter who could beat Terence Crawford

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Shakur Stevenson names the one fighter who could have beaten Terence Crawford

Shakur Stevenson is on the cusp of being recognized as one of boxing’s greatest, and has risen higher in the rankings following the retirement of good friend Terence Crawford.

However, despite their relationship, there is one player who Stevenson believes could beat ‘Bud’ if they met in top form.

Crawford hung up his gloves after 42 fights and became the fifth world boxing champion in five divisions. legendary triumph over Canelo Alvarez in September.

This victory brought Crawford enormous recognition, forcing him to be compared to fighters considered among the best fighters in the sport’s long history.

Although talking to Agnew PodcastStevenson called the fight between Crawford and Floyd Mayweather Jr a fantastic one. as a “50/50” fight.

“It’s demanding to say on this one because they’re both different, so it’s demanding to even imagine who’s going to win. Now what I’m saying, I think Floyd faced a southpaw early in his career. I feel like ‘Bud’ will probably be a southpaw and that’s who he’s ever faced.” So that would probably play a role.

“But I’ve seen ‘Bud’ have a little trouble with guys like ‘Mean Machine’ [Egidijus Kavaliauskas]who was orthodox and [Yuriorkis] Gamboa won several rounds, so it’s 50/50. You just never know who’s going to come along at the right time and win that fight, so it’s demanding for me to even give an answer.

While Crawford’s undefeated record appears set in stone, Mayweather’s famed 50-fight winning streak could be in jeopardy if his disputed September rematch with Manny Pacquiao is a professional fight.

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“We will announce details soon.”

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Image: Dana White Declines To Deny Tyson Fury Signing Speculation: "We'll Make An Announcement Soon"

Dana White had the opportunity to put an end to speculation about Tyson Fury’s involvement in Zuffa Boxing. Instead, he suggested that an announcement could come soon.

Fury was in attendance at White’s recent UFC event, where the UFC president was asked directly if the former heavyweight champion had signed on to his novel boxing venture. Instead of denying it, White suggested an announcement could come soon.


“We will be announcing that decision soon,” White said. “Listen, I’ll say it again: judge me on January 1, 2027, based on what we’ve done with boxing this year. All these other guys talk a lot of crap. I didn’t say anything about any of these guys, I didn’t talk crap about anyone or any of that stuff. I’m in my lane, doing my thing. Just sit back and watch. We’ll definitely make an announcement soon.”

White’s comments came after Fury had already teased that the UFC boss had made a “huge” announcement involving him, and Fury suggested that it should be up to White to reveal the details.

When asked separately about signing White, Fury gave a similarly cryptic answer, refusing to give a definitive answer while stopping miniature of completely dismissing the reports.

The exchange only intensified speculation that Fury could play a major role in Zuffa Boxing’s future plans. White has repeatedly said he aims to make a significant impact on the sport this year, and Fury’s appearance at the event made boxing one of the main topics of the evening.

As of now, there has been no official confirmation that Fury has signed a contract with Zuffa Boxing. However, White had numerous opportunities to decline the opportunity and chose not to.

Fury is expected to return later this year in a fight that has been described as close ahead of a potential showdown with Anthony Joshua. Although Joshua’s fight has not yet been formally announced, it remains one of the biggest attractions available in boxing.

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Last updated: 15/06/2026 at 11:15

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