Oleksandr Usyk reacts to former rival predicting he will lose to Rico Verhoeven

Oleksandr Usyk has responded to Derek Chisora’s bold prediction that Rico Verhoeven will pull off a monumental upset in Egypt.

The Dutch kickboxer is considered an almighty underdog as he attempts to dethrone Usyk, the bona fide heavyweight king, at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza.

Having had just one professional boxing match, against an opponent who retired with an 0-6 record, it is clear to see why Verhoeven is such an outsider.

Still, he managed to score a second-round finish over Janos Finfera in 2014, but this came at a level that the likes of Usyk are hardly familiar with.

Instead, the Ukrainian is far more accustomed to facing world-class opposition, with his last six outings involving two victories over Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, respectively.

His consistency at the highest level can therefore explain why he has become a three-time, two-division undisputed champion, considered by many as the sport’s No.1 pound-for-pound operator.

Yet somehow, heavyweight veteran Chisora has backed Verhoeven to climb Mount Everest without an oxygen mask, or indeed the relevant experience to tackle such a formidable challenge.

In response, though, Usyk has told Boxing King Media that his former opponent, who he unanimously outpointed in 2020, is merely going against the grain in an effort to stir up trouble.

“Derek, you’re crazy. [These are] only words – blah, blah, blah.”

Some have credited Chisora for giving Usyk one of his toughest tests, applying non-stop pressure in an attempt to disrupt the masterful southpaw’s rhythm.

Since then, though, the former cruiserweight king has only gone from strength to strength, progressively establishing himself as a fully-fledged heavyweight champion.