Popularly known as ‘The Prince of Kickboxing’, Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven went up against fellow compatriot Levi Rigters on March 9th, early this year. It was the final match of the Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix at the GelreDome in Arnhem, Netherlands.
Although Verhoeven has been the champion for an impressive 10 years, this particular fight was a rather tough one for him. He recently met boxing great Mike Tyson in his hometown, Netherlands, where the 35-year-old shared his terrifying experience from the Rigters fight with Mr. Tyson.
Mike Tyson opened a new store called Tyson Brandstore 2.0. in Oude Spiegelstraat in Amsterdam only a few days ago. Verhoeven was also present at the opening, and he got a chance to have a conversation with the boxing legend. Tyson has always admired Verhoeven’s kickboxing skills. The two have even previously met one another a few times. However, the Dutch kickboxer surprised Tyson and his internet followers this time by showing him a deadly visual from his fight with Rigters.
The time Rico Verhoeven almost lost!
The Glory Heavyweight Kickboxing Champion is one of the finest kickboxers in the history of the organization. However, in his final fight against Levi Rigters, he suffered a deadly spinning back fist that made him disoriented for a few flashes. As the two sat together, the 35-year-old kickboxer relived his fight with Rigters, especially his knockdown. While recalling the incident, Verhoeven stated, “So, last time I had a tournament, he (Levi Rigters) was in there as well, so I was in the final with him. And in the second round, he surprised me with a spinning backfist, right to the chin. My face was on the canvas. I’m a little wobbly.”
‘Iron Mike’ asked if he could see a video of the fight. As Verhoeven showed the video to him, Tyson was shocked. While watching the clip of the knockdown, Mike Tyson said, “Powerful. It doesn’t look that powerful. Wow! A young tiger!” The short YouTube clip quickly caught fans’ attention and the comment section was filled with numerous opinions about the fight. So what did the fans say?
A fan suggests Mike Tyson vs Rico Verhoeven
Just like how every heavyweight boxer wanted to fight Mike Tyson during the 80s and 90s, today, every kickboxer wants to fight Verhoeven. Even 28-year-old Rigters had the dream of going up against Verhoeven. Keeping in mind the latter’s fighting prowess, a kickboxing fan commented on the post, stating, “Rico is one solid dude not to be messed with.”
Verhoeven sustained serious damage at the hands of Rigters. But the former proved to be a resilient fighter, as he overcame Rigters to defend his title yet again. After taking such a severe blow, it’s quite difficult to regain composure and go on with the fight. One fan thus remarked, “These are the modern day gladiators. Killers.”
Another user believes that the federation is not serious about doping tests for players, which opens the doors for illegal practices to win fights. Remarking on it, the user wrote, “This federation still does not conduct doping tests for players…Half of them play immorally, using steroids and other substances. But the show must go on.”
Apart from the fight, fans were delighted to see Mike Tyson and the kickboxer together. One fan simply wrote, “2 Legends”. Meanwhile, there was someone in the comments section who suggested a clash between Tyson and Verhoeven, “Maybe Mike Tyson Vs Rico Verhoeven.”
Well, Mike Tyson is better off preparing for his bout against Jake Paul on November 15th. A clash with the kickboxer is obviously unlikely. Meanwhile, what are your thoughts about the kickboxing fight between Verhoeven and Rigters? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
