Usyk vs Verhoeven: Who is the Dutchman looking to upset Alexander Usyk in boxing history?

Verhoeven is an A-list fixture in his home country, and recently wrapped filming on Road House 2 with Jake Gyllenhaal. His inner circle includes Kevin Hart and Max Verstappen, and even the King of the Netherlands is a fan.

Away from Formula One paddocks and film sets, Verhoeven’s story began in a busy childhood in Bergen op Aggula, near the Belgian border. Initially raised by his mother who struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, he moved in with his father at the age of six.

“My father came from kyokushin karate,” says Verhoeven. “He got injured, he started boxing, he started kickboxing and people started asking him to teach.”

His father trained him with strict and constant discipline.

“At that time you say, ‘Why can’t I do this? All my friends are going to the pool tonight. I have to go and train. It didn’t make much sense to me at the time, but now I’m very grateful because it’s the basics of the discipline I have today.'”

Verhoeven went through painful periods of estrangement but reconciled with his father before his death.

He also built a bond with his mother, who passed away earlier this year during training camp. Processing that grief gave me a clearer perspective on my own role as a parent.

“Especially now that I have kids of my own, (about) how to balance it,” Verhoeven said.

“What are you going to do for them that have worked for you? And what project are you going to do for them that you haven’t worked on?”