Author: Sean Crose

It’s been going on for years – a phenomenon of novelty boxing matches pitting famed fighters against fighters who are generally looking for either a payday or one last moment of glory. MMM legends vs. world-class boxers, MMA legends vs. social media influencers, great boxers of the past fighting far beyond their shelf life, it’s a circus that sometimes borders on tragedy – if there weren’t so much money at stake. Yes – these pioneering matchups can attract many eyes. Indeed, they often rank among the most watched combat sports events in the years in which they take place.

Most of these novelty matches make a lot of financial sense for the parties involved. For the underdogs who almost always lose, there is a pot of gold at the end of this rather painful rainbow. And for a fighter representing the current boxing establishment, it’s uncomplicated money. The truth is that these fights are usually very predictable: an over the hill or inexperienced boxer is defeated (sometimes in brutal fashion), while a member of boxing’s current royal family pockets a huge and easily earned payday.

One thing that wasn’t entirely predictable was heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to fight an pioneering fight himself. In a sport that can sometimes seem clownish, Usyk has been a role model for the seriousness of his profession. While some of his peers like Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder may enjoy a bit of clowning around, Usyk takes all of boxing seriously, and it’s not because he doesn’t have a good sense of humor. This is indeed the case. However, no one questions his dedication, because the guy approaches each fight as if it were his last.

That’s why it was strange to many when Usyk announced he would fight Rico Verhoeven in Egypt, anywhere else, on a major pay-per-view event. Usyk always seemed to roll his eyes at such feats. Here, however, he is going to fight one of the best kickboxers in the world. The thing is…. When you think about it, Usyk has every right in the world to engage in his own pioneering fight. He was the undisputed cruiserweight champion, then the undisputed heavyweight champion, defeated the absolute best in the business and showed what a gifted athlete a professional boxer could be.

And although there is no doubt that Usyk will win Saturday’s fight literally in front of the pyramids, there is also no doubt that the man will not make a career against undeserving opponents. Indeed, Usyk has made it clear that he intends to retire soon, so he wants to get on the gravy train while the going is good. And really, who can blame them? Again, he fought everyone in his path, he comes from a war-torn country, and he has done nothing but make the sport look more reputable than it probably deserves.

Usyk thus deserved the right to Saturday’s penalty kick. As long as he doesn’t look terrible and get beaten up, we’ll soon forget about it. With only a few opponents left after Saturday’s fight, we’ll focus on who he’ll fight next. There is nothing modern about this, especially when it comes to someone like Usyk, who sums up his legacy as perhaps one of the greatest in the heavyweight division. This, of course, will be decided by history. Boxing fans can get absorbed in this moment, whether it involves something modern or not.

The main card begins at 1 p.m. ET on DAZN PPV. Eliminations begin at 11:00 a.m. ET.

Live results

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven, 12 rounds, heavyweight, WBC title

Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Alem Begic, 12 rounds, super middleweight, vacant WBO title

Jack Catterall vs. Shakhram Giyasov, 12 rounds, welterweight, vacant WBA regular title

Frank Sanchez vs. Richard Torrez Jr., 12 rounds, heavyweight, IBF eliminator

Mizuki Hiruta vs. Mai Soliman, 10 rounds, super flyweight, WBO title

Daniel Lapin vs. Benjamin Mendes, 10 rounds, delicate heavyweight

Basem Mamdouh vs. Jamar Talley, 6 rounds, cruiserweight

Sultan Almohammed vs. Deny Impart, 4 rounds, featherweight

Mohamed Mabrouk vs. Yehya Ali Sserunkuma, 4 rounds, super lightweight

Omar Hikal vs. Michael Kalyala, 4 rounds, middleweight

Master card schedule

1:00 PM ET: Daniel Lapin vs. Benjamin Mendes
13:53 ET: Mizuki Hiruta vs. Mai Soliman
14:37 ET: Frank Sanchez vs. Richard Torrez Jr.
15:39 ET: Jack Catterall vs. Shakhram Giyasov
16:42 ET: Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Alem Begic
17:56 ET: Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven

Tentative schedule

11:00 ET: Omar Hikal vs. Michael Kalyala
11:30 ET: Mohamed Mabrouk Yehya vs. Ali Sserunkuma
11:55 ET: Sultan Almohammed vs. Deny Impart
12:20 ET: Basem Mamdouh vs. Jamar Talley

How to watch

Usyk vs. match broadcast Verhoeven live on DAZN PPV from the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt. The broadcast begins with prelims at 11 a.m. ET, followed by the main card at 1 p.m. ET.

Tim Bradley assessed the nuances of the fight between Devin Haney and Keyshawn Davis, believing that one of the fighters will be the clear favorite in their potential welterweight fight.

After his comprehensive performance against Brian Norman Jr last November, many would consider WBO champion Haney the top dog at 147 pounds.

“The Dream” was able to overtake and dethrone Norman with minimal difficulty, scoring an early knockdown before becoming a three-division world champion.

Previous points victories over the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko and Regis Prograis have only cemented Haney’s position as one of the best busy fighters in the sport.

Davis, meanwhile, has not fully established himself as a pound-for-pound star, despite having previously dethroned Denys Berinchyk – via a fourth-round stoppage, no less – to become the WBO lightweight champion in February 2025.

After returning to the ring last January, “The Businessman” defeated Jermaine Ortiz at 140 pounds, ending the 12th round after dismantling his opponent with body shots.

But now, after a unanimous decision victory over Nahir Albright, whom he faced in a rematch last week, Davis is expressing interest in moving up to 147 pounds and challenging Haney.

However, Bradley said that considering their recent performances his YouTube channel that would make Davis a significant underdog.

“I’m telling you now: I don’t care about watching this fight. I think it’s an ugly fight. But who would be the favorite?

“[Based on] their recent performances, Devin Haney would be the favorite. Haney has more experience; Haney fought back [professionally] since he was 17 years ancient. I fight adult men in Mexico.

“He won [an undisputed championship and has] I was there with legends [like Lomachenko]”

In addition to his experience, Bradley emphasizes that Haney’s mentality was a key factor in the match against Davis, who narrowly missed weight in his first weigh-in before the Albright fight.

Much more drastic, however, was his failed attempt last June, when The American was stripped of his WBO title after weighing more than 4 pounds over the lightweight limit.