The Hall of Fame analyst questioned Usyk’s conditioning and preparation after the difficult heavyweight fight in Egypt
Tim Bradley believes Oleksandr Usyk underestimated Rico Verhoeven and failed to prepare properly for their heavyweight title fight in Egypt. Bradley said Usyk looked heavier, slower, and less sharp than the version fans had seen in previous championship performances.
“I think he half-ass trained. I don’t think that he fully trained,” said Bradley on his YouTube channel. “I thought that he was just going to walk through this guy, and this guy had his own freaking agenda. That’s what it is.”
Bradley pointed to Usyk’s movement and appearance early in the fight as signs something was off.
“Soon as I saw the scales when Usyk coming in about six, seven pounds over his usually optimum weight, I said, ‘Ah oh.’ I hope this man did not take this dude lightly,” said Bradley.
“And then he gets in the ring in the first round. I’m like, ‘Who the hell is this?’ This ain’t the same Usyk I know that got energy and bouncing on his toes.”
Bradley also praised Verhoeven’s game plan and said the kickboxing star gave Usyk far more trouble than expected by repeatedly forcing the southpaw into uncomfortable positions.
“Rico was in Usyk’s ass, period,” said Bradley. “He was in the fight, and he had a hell of a game plan.”
The Hall of Fame analyst added that Usyk still deserves credit for making adjustments late and getting the stoppage, but he warned that a dangerous fight against WBC interim heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel could now arrive at the wrong time for the aging champion.
“This might just be the right time for him and defeating Usyk,” Bradley said about Kabayel.
