Usyk enters the fight after one of the richest stretches of his career, having defeated Tyson Fury twice, Daniel Dubois twice, and Anthony Joshua twice during his run at heavyweight. The 39-year-old Ukrainian is widely viewed as the pound-for-pound #1 fighter in boxing, but questions remain about how sharp he will be after the layoff and against an opponent coming from another combat sport.

Hearn said heavyweight boxing is unpredictable because one punch can suddenly change a fight, even against a fighter as skilled as Usyk. He also praised Verhoeven’s toughness and power while still calling the Ukrainian the clear favorite heading into Saturday’s bout.

“I think that he is a real competitor, and I think he is a real fighter, and I think in that respect he will be dangerous on Saturday night. I just don’t think he’s good enough,” Hearn said to Boxing News.

“You’re talking about fighting pound-for-pound number one. You’re not just talking about fighting a good heavyweight.

“But it is the one division that can throw up some madness, and he can whack. If he hits him on the chin clean, there’ll be problems. But I’d find it very difficult to bet against Oleksandr.”

Verhoeven has spent most of his combat sports career in kickboxing and has only one professional boxing match, but Hearn said that alone does not remove the danger factor at heavyweight because of the Dutch fighter’s size, experience, and punching power.