Dmitry Bivol opened up about the Usyk vs Verhoeven matchup in a recent interview, and he did not see the match as a negative reflection on boxing.
Instead, Bivol viewed it as a difficult stylistic puzzle that Oleksandr Usyk struggled to solve in real time against an unorthodox and physically imposing opponent.
When asked whether Usyk’s inability to cleanly outbox Rico Verhoeven for long stretches discredited boxing, Bivol dismissed that idea entirely.
“No, it didn’t discredit boxing. For me, I look at it differently,” Bivol said. “You know, it happens when some awkward guy comes to training, whom you’ve never seen and who has never worked with anyone, and you just can’t adjust to him the whole training session and miss some ridiculous punches.”
Bivol explained that unconventional athletes can create problems even without elite technical skills because of their unpredictability.
“And you even find it funny that there’s nothing special about the guy, but he does things that are sometimes even unexpected for himself,” he continued. “And if you take Rico Verhoeven, he is physically strong and agile, he is also clumsy. Clumsy in a good way. You don’t understand what to expect from him.”
According to Bivol, Usyk looked uncomfortable because Verhoeven’s unusual rhythm and awkward attacks disrupted the kind of polished boxing exchanges the Ukrainian champion normally thrives in.
“He somehow found it difficult to adapt to him,” Bivol said. “I already perceive Oleksandr Usyk as a person who works at the university level and nurtures that knowledge. And Rico Verhoeven, in boxing at least, he came with school knowledge and simply created big problems for Oleksandr.”
Bivol also admitted he could see Usyk trying to solve the puzzle round by round during the match itself.
“I saw how he was simply uncomfortable and confused,” Bivol said. “He was trying to figure it out. Rico threw a right hand that was half-sideways, half-straight, so dangerous.”
He continued by explaining how difficult it was to pressure Verhoeven because of his size and movement.
“Rico doesn’t go on his own. Try to go to him,” Bivol said. “He’s not an awkward opponent, but he did wake up a little bit towards the end.”
Still, Bivol felt Usyk’s conditioning and willingness to take risks eventually started to shift the momentum late in the fight.
“Oleksandr decided to take a little risk there, and somewhere he began to dominate due to his special endurance,” he said.
Discussing a possible rematch, Bivol said he expects Usyk to perform much better now that he has experienced Verhoeven’s style once already.
“I definitely think that Oleksandr will look better due to the fact that he simply already understood how to box,” Bivol said.
Bivol also questioned how Verhoeven would fare against a more traditional heavyweight puncher who relies less on technique and more on raw power.
“If we imagine that he goes out against a boxer who hits with such a powerful single punch, like [Anthony] Joshua, will he be able to last at least six rounds?” Bivol asked. “A physical one that puts the emphasis on physics, not on calculation, not on technique, but on brute force. It will probably be more difficult for him to box with a boxer like that.”
When the discussion shifted to Usyk’s legacy and whether the performance changed his standing among the all-time greats, Bivol made it clear that Usyk still deserves full respect as the top heavyweight of this era.
“Of course he is one of them, because he is absolutely the champion in supers,” Bivol said. “Look at his track record, whether you like it or not, he is a boxer of the current generation, and he is, in a way, the best in the super heavyweight division today.”
Bivol then compared Usyk’s reign to past heavyweight legends.
“Tyson was the best in his time. Holyfield was in his time,” he said. “Now we have what we have. This is the kind of champion we have. And we have to give him respect. If anyone disagrees with this, go out and beat them.”
