Rico Verhoeven might be getting his second big boxing night, and the name across the ring could be Deontay Wilder. Pro Boxing Fans reported that the longtime GLORY heavyweight champion is “in talks” to face the former WBC heavyweight champ on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua. The card is set for Dec. 11 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, and it streams live on Netflix.
Nothing is signed. As of Oct. 14, EssentiallySports noted there was no official agreement putting Verhoeven anywhere on the Fury vs. Joshua card. Treat this as a negotiation story for now.
The Wilder side of this has been busy. Dan Rafael told Big Fight Weekend that the original plan was Oleksandr Usyk vs. Wilder. That fell apart when Usyk wouldn’t come down on his price. Wilder’s manager, Shelly Finkel, explained that Usyk wanted more than Turki Alalshikh or Zuffa would pay. The conversation then moved to Jai Opetaia, the WBA, The Ring and Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight champ, who would have to move up to heavyweight. Rafael said Wilder’s team had accepted an offer for that fight, but there was no paperwork and no signed contract. Rafael also said Wilder would rather face WBA heavyweight champ Murat Gassiev for the shot at another world title. So Verhoeven is entering a crowded group chat.
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Verhoeven’s resume
Verhoeven, 37, went more than a decade unbeaten in kickboxing and held the GLORY heavyweight title the whole way. He made his pro boxing debut this past May in Egypt against Usyk, at an event near the Pyramids of Giza. He lost by a controversial 11th-round stoppage. Think about that. His first pro boxing fight was against the best heavyweight on the planet, and he lasted into the championship rounds. That’s how you turn a loss into leverage.
His name has also been tied to a possible Francis Ngannou fight under the revamped MVP MMA banner in 2027. He has options.
Overeem is still waiting
The twist is that Alistair Overeem wants this exact slot. On Oct. 13, the 46-year-old former Strikeforce champ posted a callout on his Instagram story. “Stop hiding,” Overeem wrote. “Let’s make history.” He told Bloody Elbow that Verhoeven is avoiding him and pitched a fight at Amsterdam Arena in 2027. The two were booked under GLORY in 2021 before an injury forced Overeem out. Overeem reportedly sat ringside for Usyk vs. Verhoeven.
Wilder brings the bigger American name and the kind of right hand that put Fury on the canvas in Round 4 at T-Mobile Arena on Oct. 9, 2021. For a card built on Fury and Joshua, that’s a smart hook.
My take: this is the crossover fight I want on that card, and I want it more than Wilder vs. Opetaia. Verhoeven has already shown he can take Usyk deep, so his presence isn’t a gimmick. Wilder still has the kind of power that can end any fight, and that’s the story. If the money people at Fury vs. Joshua are getting tight with cash, as MMA Mania suggested, this is the one I’d find money for. Overeem can keep yelling into his Instagram story. Verhoeven vs. Wilder in Cardiff on Dec. 11 sells itself.
