WBC Unveils $40,000 Prize For Oleksandr Usyk-Rico Verhoeven Fight

The sanctioning body introduced a custom “King of the Nile” belt and diamond-studded championship chain ahead of Saturday’s heavyweight event in Egypt

The WBC has unveiled a $40,000 diamond-and-emerald championship chain alongside a custom “King of the Nile” belt for Oleksandr Usyk’s fight against Rico Verhoeven in Egypt. The move continues the sanctioning body’s push to place its branding at the center of boxing’s biggest global events.

Mauricio Sulaiman never misses a chance to inject some serious theatricality into an undisputed heavyweight fight. They went all out with the custom “King of the Nile” belt, and now they are tossing a $40,000 diamond and emerald pendant into the mix.

It tells you everything you need to know about how sanctioning bodies operate in the modern era. When a fight has this level of massive global attention, the WBC wants their brand front and center, draped around the neck of the winner. It is brilliant marketing on their part, ensuring that every post-fight victory photo features their green and gold colors, whether it is the traditional strap or an 18.9-carat piece of jewelry.

For the fighters, it is a neat extra perk. For the WBC, it is about keeping themselves relevant and essential at the absolute highest level of the sport.

That “King of the Nile” strap is a flashy, gold-plated promotional prop. The massive red stone sitting at the bottom of the center plate of the belt looks like it came straight out of a craft store, and those side-panel scarabs and embellishments clearly rely on synthetic, cost-effective materials rather than genuine precious gems. It is a belt manufactured for the television cameras, built to look heavy from ten feet away while keeping production costs down to a few grand.

Then you look at this new “Main Event” pendant, and the WBC completely changes the game. Claiming 18.9 carats of actual emeralds and diamonds with a $40,000 price tag is a massive step up from lab-created costume stones.

It is a fascinating contrast in their promotional strategy. They gave the fighters a cost-effective, themed souvenir belt to show off at the pressers, but saved the actual five-figure jewelry budget for something the winner can actually wear around. Mauricio Sulaiman is making sure that if the champion wants to show off some real luxury bling after May 23, the WBC logo is going to be stamped right on the front of it.

The winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven will receive the WBC’s “Main Event” World Championship chain and pendant made with 18.9 carats of emeralds and diamonds 🤩

The chain and pendant has an estimated value of $40k and is awarded exclusively to world champions competing… pic.twitter.com/jmVM1HqgN9

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) May 20, 2026

Share on Facebook

Post on X