dailynewsnblog
Rico Verhoeven has paid tribute to his recently-deceased mother by recreating photos that she took at the pyramids of Giza 30 years ago.
On Saturday, Verhoeven will box Oleksandr Usyk for the latter’s WBC heavyweight title, with the fight remarkably taking place at the pyramids.
Advertisement
The bout will be just the second for Verhoeven, 37, in a boxing ring, but he is considered one of the greatest kickboxers of all time.
Ahead of his fight with the unbeaten Usyk, 39, Verhoeven revealed that his mother recently passed away – and that he was moved to recreate old holiday photos that showed her at the pyramids.
“I lost my mother earlier this year, and especially these last years it was hard for her to be at the events,” the Dutchman told The Ring after sharing his – and his mother’s – photos on Instagram.
“So, a lot of times she was just watching on TV. And I know now she is with me everywhere, everywhere I go, so that’s a really nice and comfortable feeling. Yeah, I feel blessed to have her as my guardian angel right now.
Advertisement
“I was really thankful that I got the time to [recreate those photos], to experience that and really be in that moment and create that – like, that same picture that she made, like around 30 years ago.”
Rico Verhoeven has enjoyed his time at the pyramids in the build-up to the fight (Reuters)
He previously went face to face with Oleksandr Usyk at their launch press conference (Getty)
Earlier, Verhoeven had explained to Matchroom: “Within this camp, my mother passed away. Then, like, how is it a positive thing? It is not, but I have to do something with it to make it easier for me to cope with.
“She passed away and we had to clean out her house, and what happened is: we came by pictures of her being in Egypt. Like, how crazy is that? I wanted to recreate that exact picture. I wanted to be in that spot where she was 30 years prior.
Advertisement
“Being there was… I don’t know, man, it was just… it was so special. It was so special.”
Verhoeven has been doing his media duties in Egypt (Getty)
When Verhoeven shared the photos, he wrote: “Dear mom, here in Egypt thinking about you… I’m writing this because I miss you. I feel your presence, thank you for being my guardian angel.
“You and dad better be watching […] but I know you will and you’ll protect me. We’ll see each other again… I love you.”
Verhoeven faces a stiff test against Ukraine’s Usyk, who is boxing’s unified heavyweight champion, an Olympic gold medallist, and unbeaten as a professional.
Still, Verhoeven is one of the greatest strikers in combat sports. He reigned as Glory heavyweight champion for 11 years, and he has won his last 22 fights.
