Verhoeven's Protest Over Usyk Bout Outcome Rejected
Rico Verhoeven, the renowned kickboxer, has announced that his appeal concerning the outcome of his boxing match against unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk last month has been dismissed. While a commission reportedly acknowledged that the fight was halted after the bell signaling the end of the round, they concluded that this timing did not alter the result.
Controversial Stoppage and Verhoeven's Stance
The 37-year-old Verhoeven had previously called for a rematch and an apology from officials following the heavyweight world title bout in Egypt on May 23. The contest was controversially stopped in the 11th round. Despite this being only his second professional boxing match, Verhoeven, a kickboxing legend, posed a significant challenge to the 39-year-old Usyk for much of the fight. However, a late surge from the Ukrainian champion sent Verhoeven to the canvas.
Although Verhoeven managed to beat the referee's count, a subsequent barrage of punches in the final moments of the round led to the referee intervening and stopping the fight. Many observers felt this decision was particularly harsh on Verhoeven. In a post on his Instagram account, Verhoeven stated that the appeal commission confirmed the bell for the 11th round had indeed sounded before the referee physically ended the fight. He quoted the official timekeeper as corroborating this fact.
"The official timekeeper said exactly that," Verhoeven wrote. "The ringside doctor also confirmed that I showed no signs of confusion or disorientation after the bout. The commission's view was that none of those findings changed the outcome."
Call for an Immediate Rematch
At the time of the stoppage, the judges' scorecards were split, reading 95-95, 95-95, and 96-94 in favor of Verhoeven. Verhoeven clarified that his formal protest, submitted by his team the morning after the fight, was not intended to diminish Usyk's achievements. He referred to Usyk, a two-weight undisputed champion, as "one of the greatest fighters of this generation."
However, Verhoeven emphasized his belief that the fight's narrative was cut short. "What stays with me is the feeling that, after 11 unforgettable rounds on one of the biggest and most epic stages in the world, the story simply stopped before it reached its ending," he explained. "The fans were denied a 12th round. After everything we'd both put into that fight, they deserved to see how it ended."
Based on this, Verhoeven's conclusion is straightforward: he believes an immediate rematch is necessary to conclude the story for the fans. He noted that while the ruling addressed legal questions, it left the overarching question of how the story was meant to end unanswered for many. Verhoeven concluded his statement with a challenge: "I'll be ready Oleksandr." Usyk maintains an undefeated record across 25 professional fights.
Source: Verhoeven says appeal against loss to Usyk dismissed