Rico Verhoeven's Appeal Against Oleksandr Usyk Fight Result Gets Dismissed
Rico Verhoeven's appeal regarding the controversial outcome of his fight against Oleksandr Usyk has been dismissed. The commission ruled that the fight, which took place on May 23 in Egypt, was stopped after the bell for the end of the round sounded, and concluded that this timing did not impact the final result. At 37 years old, Verhoeven faced 39-year-old Usyk, the unified heavyweight world champion, in only his second professional boxing match. Despite Verhoeven's strong performance, Usyk's late surge led to Verhoeven being knocked down in the 11th round. Although he managed to beat the count, the referee halted the fight shortly after, a decision Verhoeven deemed excessively harsh. In a statement on his Instagram, Verhoeven expressed disappointment over the commission's findings: The official timekeeper confirmed the bell had rung before the referee intervened. A ringside doctor stated Verhoeven showed no signs of confusion post-fight. The scorecards at the time of the stoppage were tied at 95-95 and one in favor of Verhoeven at 96-94. Verhoeven acknowledged Usyk's greatness but emphasized the need for a rematch, stating, "The fans were denied a 12th round... they deserved to see how it ended." He concluded with a call to finish the story, asserting, "I'll be ready Oleksandr." Usyk remains undefeated in 25 professional fights, further solidifying his status as one of the sport’s top competitors.
Source: BBC Sport - 2026-06-17