The president of the World Boxing Council, Mauricio Sulaiman, presented the “King of the Nile” commemorative belt on Friday at the upcoming crossover heavyweight fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
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The belt continues the WBC's tradition of creating locally themed championship designs tied to major events.
The large red background is similar to ruby style jewelry. If the stone were a real museum-grade ruby with that apparent size, the cost of the belt can increase significantly and create major considerations for transportation, insurance, and security. A high-quality natural stone can cost more than the production cost of the entire belt combined.
Egypt-Inspired Design
The belt continues the WBC's recent trend of creating locally themed championship designs tied to major events, although this version may be one of the judging body's most elaborate releases yet.
The center plate has a heavy Egyptian influence throughout the design, including the winged Horus symbol that extends across the top of the band with a large red jewel placed in the center. The gold background is covered with geometric patterns similar to ancient carvings, while the lower part includes crooked and flail symbols associated with Egyptian pharaohs and royal authority.
The standard WBC ring of international flags remains on the outer border, combining the organization's standard tournament image with Egyptian-inspired artwork.
Sulaiman Reveals the Belt
I couldn't resist showing this beauty
King of the Nile souvenir belt #UsykRico I hope my social media team doesn't mind showing it now! @usykaa @RiyadhSeason @ringmagazine @Turki_alalshikh @WBCBoxing @MatchroomBoxing pic.twitter.com/f8zlBODq9W— Mauricio Sulaiman (@wbcmoro) May 9, 2026
Glory In Giza Theme
The belt will be awarded to the winner of the May 23 event, which is called “Glory in Giza” and will be broadcast live on DAZN from one of the most unusual places used for boxing's main card.
Usyk enters the fight as joint heavyweight champion and WBC title holder, while Verhoeven moves from kickboxing to one of the best crossover bouts he's attempted in recent years.
The event itself has already attracted attention due to its location and spectacle-driven presentation, and the WBC's latest commemorative belt seems designed to fit that theme. Rather than using the traditional design alone, the organization turned the belt into a visual backdrop tied directly to the Egyptian setting and the “King of the Nile” logo surrounding the fight.
Last updated on 2026/05/09 at 11:57 AM
