Boxing Picks 2026- Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven (Saturday 23rd May)

The Heavyweight Division produced a classic for those tuning into Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois earlier this month and, once again, the latter came through to become WBO World Champion.

Some have questioned Oleksandr Usyk and a potential desire to face Daniel Dubois for a third time, but that is a fight that will have little appetite from the fans, while Wardley-Dubois II is also much more likely.

Instead Usyk has already stated that he feels he has done enough in Boxing to make his own decisions and one of those has led to this headline fight against the 'King of Kickboxing', but a fighter in Rico Verhoeven having just his second professional Boxing contest.

That is the fight that will headline the latest showing from Riyadh Season under Turki Alalshikh, although the rumours around a growing disinterest in sport from those in Saudi Arabia cannot be ignored.

Other sports have already been impacted with LIV Golf looking like it is struggling, while the Snooker Saudi Masters has come and gone already.

Add to that the reports that the Newcastle United investment is looking to be cut by 25% and you do have to wonder how many more of these standout Riyadh Season events we are going to be getting in the coming months and years?

Perhaps the idea is to eventually navigate all fighters to Zuffa Boxing once they are signed on some poor terms, but that is something we will have to keep an eye on.

Oleksandr Uysk vs Rico Verhoeven

No one is going to doubt the credentials of Rico Verhoeven as a combatant, but you do have to make this a huge mismatch as far as a Boxing contest goes.

The 'King of Kickboxing' has had one professional Boxing bout back in 2014 against an opponent who had lost all five previous professional contests.

Suffice to say that this is a huge step upwards.

Some will point to Frances Ngannou and his efforts against Tyson Fury, but Anthony Joshua made short work of the MMA powerhouse.

Oleksandr Usyk is unlikely to put anyone down with the first big punch thrown, and especially not against someone of the size and stature of Rico Verhoeven, but the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion can do what he does best and that is sure to wear out his opponent.

Taking punches from awkward angles may take a bit of getting used to, but Usyk is a supreme Boxer with fantastic footwork and that is likely going to be mean it will take something very, very special for Rico Verhoeven to find the punches to hurt the Champion who has been in with some monster hitters.

You have to expect the Promoters to be talking up Rico Verhoeven's chances, but even some of those have admitted there is a very small chance the Dutchman can win this fight.

The early part of the contest could be fun with Verhoeven likely going to want to use his size and strength to push Oleksandr Usyk backwards, but the Champion is going to be wearing him down mentally and physically.

That should pay dividends in the middle of this Twelve Round fight and Oleksandr Usyk has enough pop to force the Stoppage at that kind of stage.

As mentioned, this is not the same kind of undercard that fans have become accustomed to seeing at these Riyadh Season events, but there is some intrigue and an opportunity for fighters to take the next step in their careers.

Both Jack Catterall and Shakhram Giyasov are hoping to get into the mix with the World Champions in a wide open Welterweight Division and the winner should be in line for a shot at a World Title by winning this one.

Picking a winner is not easy, although Catterall has been in with the higher level of opponent, which is perhaps why he has been set as the favourite.

The main event involves the Undisputed Heavyweight king, but there is an opportunity for Richard Torrez Jr to move up alongside Moses Itauma as one of the young guns looking to take over when Oleksandr Usyk chooses to call it a day.

As with any fighter developing, Torrez Jr is taking another step in his career by taking on once beaten Frank Sanchez, although there are serious doubts about the health of the latter.

The Cuban has fought once in the last two years since losing to Agit Kabayel in a contest where his knee gave way- surgery and rehabilitation have been completed, but there is a real uncertainty about whether Sanchez has the movement needed with the knee.

The contest is scheduled over Twelve Rounds and Richard Torrez Jr is capable of closing the show within the time allotted to make a statement to his rivals.

Hamzah Sheeraz has long been a favourite of the Riyadh organisers and he should be able to pick up the vacant WBO World Super Middleweight Title.

There would have been a real hope that Sheeraz could have been out much more quickly after crushing Edgar Berlanga last July, but he has had to wait for this opportunity and should have far too much for unbeaten Alem Begic.

The 39 year old has not fought in thirteen months and this does not feel like a fighter who deserves a shot at the WBO World Title, even if it is a vacant Belt.

The Super Middleweight Division looks pretty weak right now though and that gives Begic this chance, but Hamzah Sheeraz should have far, far too much for him.

MY PICKS: Oleksandr Usyk to Win Between 5-8 @ 2.87 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Richard Torrez Jr to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.05 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Hamzah Sheeraz to Win Between 1-6 @ 1.61 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Boxing 2026: 14-29, - 13.18 Units (64 Units Staked, - 20.59% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2023- Emanuel Navarrete vs Liam Wilson (February 3rd)

It feels like it has been a long time since we had a really good event in the United Kingdom as far as the Boxing goes, but the Anthony Yarde World Title challenge against Artur Beterbiev may be the start of a really good six months on these shores.

Of course we have already had the big Liam Smith win over Chris Eubank Jr, but the Beterbiev-Yarde top of the bill was truly a World level event.

And Anthony Yarde did not disappoint.

There are ways to lose Boxing fights and some will raise your stock, something that I do feel has happened for Anthony Yarde. The Fifth Round was truly one to enjoy and there was a moment or two when I thought Yarde was going to pull off the upset, but Artur Beterbiev is one tough customer and ultimately deservedly came out on top.

It was really fun to be at Wembley Arena for a big show and fans of the sport should take advantage of some of the fights that have already been announced for the United Kingdom. I am really looking forward to the Leigh Wood vs Mauricio Lara fight in Nottingham, while April could be a month for the Heavyweights with Anthony Joshua and Joe Joyce back on separate cards in London (AJ's fight yet to be announced but heavily rumoured), while there is still an outside chance of seeing the Heavyweight Unification between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley Stadium in the same month.

As fans we have to support the events simply to ensure we get to see more of them over here and I will definitely be trying to make at least two of those Heavyweight fights in London as long as tickets can be secured.

The first half of 2023 isn't just about the UK cards being announced, but we could have some huge fights across the pond too. David Benavidez vs Caleb Plant is a headline fight that both Boxers deserve a lot of credit for signing up to, while Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia looks to have taken a positive step forward to add to the loaded April schedule.

Canelo Alvarez is expected back and Dmitry Bivol could defend his Light Heavyweight World Title against Joshua Buatsi, while we should soon hear of the plans set for the likes of Terence Crawford and Errol Spence, who continue to dance around one another without actually signing a contract for the mega-fight at 147.

Of course we want to see the Super-Fights as much as possible, but I do like some of the cards that have been put together and the headline bouts we are hopefully going to see. It should set us up for a really good second half of the year and hopefully this will be a 'season' where the fans are rewarded for their patience when it comes to some of the biggest bouts that can be made.

However, it is Boxing and you can never get too excited about the potential fights and just enjoy those that are offered to us.

There are a couple of decent cards this weekend and the promoters have made a good decision to have one on Friday and one on Saturday to avoid clashes that have become a little too common. Sometimes it can't be helped, but other times it can be and this is one of those weekends where common sense has prevailed.

I won't have any Picks from the largely female card being promoted by Matchroom and DAZN this weekend- there are some quality fights being made on that side of the sport, but the prices are never as appealing as they could be with the two minute Rounds and the Ten Round limit making it that much harder to predict Knock Outs.

The layers know that and so Decision wins are priced up accordingly, while this weekend we have a number of strong favourites that are expected to win, notably Amanda Serrano and Alycia Baumgardner. Both of those Boxers could be in line for big fights next up if they can win their Undisputed bouts this weekend and I do think both will do so, and most likely with their hands raised after going through their Ten Rounder World Title contests.

My focus for the Boxing Picks this weekend will be on the Friday night card being promoted by Top Rank with the main event seeing a vacant World Title up for grabs that has been left behind by Shakur Stevenson.

Emanuel Navarrete vs Liam Wilson

He has always looked pretty big at his previous weight classes so it is no surprise to see Emanuel Navarrete up at Super Featherweight in a bid to win another World Title.

This will set up a big fight with Oscar Valdez, perhaps before the first half of 2023 comes to a conclusion, and I do think he is deservedly a big favourite in this fight.

You can't take anything away from Liam Wilson for taking an opportunity and Australian fighters are tough, but this is his first time outside of his own country and the stoppage loss to Joe Noynay is a concern. Liam Wilson avenged that defeat in the immediate rematch, but he faces another big puncher and this is a considerable step up in level, even if Emanuel Navarrete has not fought at 130 pounds before.

As I have mentioned, Navarrete looked big at the previous two weight classes, and it was long thought that he would have to move up- he has the longer reach in this one and I am not sure he is going to have to look too hard to find Liam Wilson inside this ring.

30 stoppages in 36 wins shows the kind of power that Emanuel Navarrete does possess and Liam Wilson was stopped by someone who has not been known for his own power. This is arguably going to be the biggest puncher that Wilson has ever faced and I do think the Mexican can come through an early fire fight with the bigger blows having been landed.

Emanuel Navarrete has been a methodical puncher that breaks down his opponent rather than one punch Knock Out power, although he certainly has that too. I can see him breaking through the Liam Wilson defences early and often in this one and I am not sure the Australian will have the pop to make Navarrete step back out of the phone box.

He can take a bit of time to warm up to his task, but I think Emanuel Navarrete will be looking to make a statement in this one and I do think he can get this done within the first half of the fight.

There are some of the brighter Top Rank prospects on the undercard as they continue their development as professional fighters.

One of the top younger names is Nico Ali Walsh, the grandson of The Greatest Muhammad Ali, and he should be able to win his Six Rounder inside the first half of the fight.

He has been forced to go the distance twice, including in his first Six Rounder in October, but Ali Walsh has won his other five fights before the Fourth Round. He faces Eduardo Ayala who has been stopped twice in his two defeats and I think Nico Ali Walsh can make sure he wins early enough to be ready to get back out as soon as possible.

After needing Three Rounds last time out, Richard Torrez Jr should have a much earlier night in the office when taking on James Bryant.

The 37 year old did go a couple of Rounds in a losing effort against another heavy hitting unbeaten Sonny Conto, and James Bryant came out absolutely swinging in that one. I expect a similar approach in this one, and that should leave him open to Richard Torrez Jr's power and the young American can perhaps close the show a little quicker than Conto managed to do.

Richard Torrez Jr is a raw talent and a work in progress, but he hits hard and James Bryant may just be loose enough to fall into something early.

MY PICKS: Emanuel Navarrete to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.50 Bet365 (2 Units)

Nico Ali Walsh to Win Between 1-3 @ 2.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Richard Torrez Jr to Win in First Round @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Boxing Update 2023: 1-3, - 3.40 Units (7 Units Staked, - 48.57% Yield)