Verhoeven's Appeal Dismissed After Controversial Usyk Fight
Kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven, who had only one prior professional boxing match before facing Oleksandr Usyk, has confirmed that his appeal against the result of his defeat by the unified heavyweight world champion was dismissed.
Verhoeven's sole previous boxing bout was a victory over journeyman Janos Finfera in 2014. The recent heavyweight world title fight took place in Egypt on 23 May and ended controversially in the 11th round when the referee stopped the contest.
A commission reviewed the circumstances and agreed that the fight was stopped after the bell signaling the end of the round had sounded. However, they concluded that this timing did not alter the outcome of the fight.
Following the stoppage, Verhoeven, aged 37, called for a rematch with Usyk and requested an apology from the officials involved. During the fight, Verhoeven, in only his second professional boxing match, challenged the 39-year-old Ukrainian champion for extended periods. Despite this, Usyk mounted a late surge that sent Verhoeven to the canvas.
Although Verhoeven beat the count, the referee intervened during a subsequent flurry of punches in the final moments of the round and stopped the fight. Many observers considered the decision to be excessively harsh on Verhoeven.
Verhoeven addressed the situation on his Instagram account, stating that the appeal commission confirmed the bell ending round 11 had already sounded before the referee waved off the fight.
"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."
At the time of the stoppage, the judges' scorecards read 95-95, 95-95, and 96-94 in favor of Verhoeven.
Verhoeven emphasized that his formal protest, which his team filed the morning after the fight, was not intended to diminish Usyk's achievements. He acknowledged Usyk as a two-weight undisputed champion and described him as "one of the greatest fighters of this generation."
"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.
"The fans were denied a 12th round. After everything we'd both put into that fight, they deserved to see how it ended.
"So for me, the conclusion is actually very simple. Let's finish the story and give the fans that immediate rematch!
"The ruling answered the legal questions, but it left another question hanging in the air, one that has stayed with so many people since that night: how was this story supposed to end?"
Verhoeven concluded his statement with a direct message to Usyk:
"I'll be ready Oleksandr."
Usyk remains undefeated in his 25 professional fights.
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