Usyk vs. Verhoeven: Oleksandr Usyk defends WBC title against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in Egypt

This is a world heavyweight title fight in the shadow of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – a backdrop so stunning that it almost distracts from how extraordinary and frankly bizarre the contest itself is.

Details of where the fight will take place are light, other than that it will be “under the shadow of the ancient giants.”

But regardless of location, this would be a massive mismatch. And this is not said lightly during a time that has already given us Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul. At least that was framed as a scene. This is for the WBC heavyweight title.

Verhoeven was indirectly linked to a match against Joshua before the British player was involved in a car accident in December. But there’s a big difference between a crossover curiosity and a world title challenge against a great team.

Usyk may be running out of reliable dance partners, which likely explains this. But the heavyweight closet is not bare. He vacated his WBO title rather than face Fabio Wardley, while Agit Kabayel’s name was repeatedly mentioned by fans craving an unbeaten live challenger with momentum. Instead, we are handed a boxing novice.

Tyson Fury has been knocked down and pushed to the brink by rookie boxer Francis Ngannou in 2023, coming close to one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history. So anything can happen in the ring of course, but someone as methodical and disciplined as Usyk is unlikely to repeat Fury’s mistakes.

Even in today’s boxing era, where hype and profit can trump logic, this ranks high in the question “How did we get here?” existing.