Turki Rejects “Spectacle” Label for Usyk–Verhoeven Fight

Turki Alalshikh moved quickly to challenge how Oleksandr Usyk’s next fight is being described.

After Ring Magazine senior insider Mike Coppinger suggested on X that if Usyk “wants to have some fun with a big spectacle, so be it,” Turki replied directly: “It is not fun. It is dangerous fight.”

The exchange came shortly after the announcement that Oleksandr Usyk will defend his WBC heavyweight title against former kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven on May 23 in Egypt.

Coppinger’s phrasing framed the bout as a break from Usyk’s recent schedule against established heavyweight names. Usyk has already fought Anthony Joshua twice and Tyson Fury twice, along with a stoppage win over Daniel Dubois. Against that run of conventional title fights, a crossover opponent from kickboxing naturally invites questions about tone and purpose.

Turki did not accept the suggestion that this is light entertainment.

Verhoeven has not boxed professionally since 2014 and has one recorded pro boxing contest. His reputation was built in kickboxing, where he competed 76 times and held a version of the heavyweight championship for more than a decade. He left that sport last year and now steps directly into a world heavyweight title fight under boxing rules.

By labeling the matchup “dangerous,” Turki signaled that those backing the event view it as a legitimate competitive risk rather than promotional theater.

The word “spectacle” suggests show. Turki’s response suggested risk. In The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the phrase is delivered just before soldiers are ordered into battle, as observers are invited to watch from a distance. Turki’s reply made clear he does not see this fight as something meant to be enjoyed from afar.