- Usyk's team confirms they are "100% looking at Plan B" for the May 23 WBC heavyweight title defence against Rico Verhoeven — Giza venue under review due to Middle East security concerns
- The "Glory in Giza" event was set to be the first professional boxing show at the Pyramids, orchestrated by Turki Alalshikh and streaming globally on DAZN
- Usyk himself remains calm — says he focuses on training and leaves logistics to his team
- Undercard includes Shakhram Giyasov vs Jack Catterall — the fight goes ahead regardless of venue
Boxing at the Pyramids. It was the kind of idea that sounded too cinematic to actually happen — and it still might not. Oleksandr Usyk's WBC heavyweight title defence against Dutch kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven was scheduled for May 23 at the foot of the Great Pyramid of Giza, in what would have been the first professional boxing event ever staged at one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The event, branded "Glory in Giza" and orchestrated by Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh, was designed to be a spectacle unlike anything the sport has seen. The imagery alone — a world heavyweight championship fight with the Pyramids as the backdrop — would have been unforgettable.
But geopolitics does not care about boxing's sense of theatre.
The Security Concern
Rising tensions in the Middle East have forced Usyk's team to acknowledge what everyone in the sport has been whispering for weeks: Giza might not be viable. The situation has escalated following direct military exchanges between Iran and the United States, raising security concerns across parts of the broader region.
Egypt itself has not been directly involved in the escalation, but the proximity and the optics of staging a high-profile international sporting event in the region during a period of heightened tension have given Usyk's camp pause. His team has confirmed they are actively preparing backup scenarios.
Usyk, characteristically, is unbothered by the logistics. The Ukrainian champion has said he focuses on training and leaves the planning to his team. He trains, he prays, and when they tell him where to fight, he fights. That kind of composure is what makes him the best heavyweight on the planet.
What Happens Next
The fight itself is not in jeopardy. Usyk vs Verhoeven will happen on or around May 23 regardless of where it takes place. The WBC has sanctioned the bout. DAZN has the global broadcast rights. The undercard — which includes Shakhram Giyasov vs Jack Catterall in a significant welterweight contest — is locked in.
If Giza falls through, the most likely alternative venues would be in Saudi Arabia, where Alalshikh has the infrastructure and relationships to stage a major event at short notice. Riyadh has hosted multiple world championship boxing cards in recent years and could absorb an event of this scale without difficulty.
A European venue is also possible. Germany, the UK, or Poland — Usyk has strong connections to all three — could step in if the Middle East proves unworkable entirely.
The Verhoeven Factor
The fight itself remains one of the most intriguing contests of the year on paper. Verhoeven is the greatest kickboxer of his generation — a 6ft 5in, 265lb Dutchman who has dominated Glory Kickboxing for the better part of a decade. His transition to professional boxing is a novelty, and Usyk is a heavy favourite, but Verhoeven's size, power and competitive mentality mean this is not a complete mismatch.
Usyk has outlined a three-fight retirement plan. Verhoeven is fight one. If the location drama overshadows the actual contest, it will be a shame — because the story of an undisputed heavyweight champion defending against the best kickboxer alive is compelling on its own terms.
For now, May 23 remains the date. Giza remains the hope. But Plan B is very much alive.