Connect with us

Boxing

Rico Verhoeven doesn’t need a rematch – he needed one more second

Published

2 months ago

on

Referee Mark Lyson stops Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven late in the eleventh round in Egypt

Rico Verhoeven doesn’t need a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk because boxing has already taken away from him what he really deserved in Egypt.

Not heavyweight titles. Not a victory. Not even official recognition on the scorecards.

Verhoeven earned the right to hear the bell ring at the Pyramids after pushing the unified heavyweight champion much harder than almost anyone expected.

That moment was taken from him with a second left.

Usyk clearly didn’t prepare to the best of his ability and looked musclebound as he struggled through long stretches of the competition. However, turning him on for the last few rounds and hoping he had enough left in the tank to stop the tiring Verhoeven was certainly not part of the game plan.

The Ukrainian looked genuinely shocked at how Verhoeven was able to maneuver around the ring in such an unconventional way that he repeatedly prevented Usyk from gaining any rhythm.

As detailed in WBN’s live coverage from Giza, Verhoeven frustrated Usyk from the first round and never allowed the champion to fully take control.

Even when Usyk finally succeeded in the underbelly and started hurting Verhoeven towards the end, the Dutchman still survived, recovered and made the fight awkward enough to keep the fight hanging in the balance.

Verhoeven was seriously injured at the end of the eleventh set, but giving him that one minute to recover was the least he could pay for his fortitude and determination.

Mark Lyson’s decision

Therefore, referee Mark Lyson’s decision will remain a long-debated topic of the event.

Lyson is usually one of the better referees in boxing and is rarely controversial. This time, however, he must seriously consider the decision to stop the fight.

The official time of the eleventh round is 2:59. In fact, I thought it was at least 3:01 because the bell had already rung before Lyson had fully entered the action.

Verhoeven got back to his feet. He was prepared to continue and was a second away from hearing the bell ending the final round.

He fully deserved this opportunity.

Mark Robinson

Instead, the ending immediately reopened familiar accusations that boxing protects its own when outside forces threaten the established order.

As detailed in WBN’s post-fight report, the controversy only intensified as Verhoeven appeared to be ahead on multiple unofficial cards entering the championship rounds.

WBN had Rico Verhoeven leading 97-93 after ten rounds and 105-103 after eleven, even including the knockdown.

However, both the live WBC scorecards read in the arena and the WBA scorecards revealed after the fight in which Verhoeven did not win.

That says a lot.

There is no need for a rematch with Usyk

As for the rematch, there’s really no point.

Usyk would almost certainly have prepared better for the second fight and would likely have stopped Verhoeven in the first half of the fight once he was fully accustomed to the movement and rhythm that surprised him in Egypt.

That intrigue is now over and Usyk has his mandatory duties behind him.

Boxing had a chance to adapt to another combat sports star who went far beyond his comfort zone and exceeded almost all expectations placed on him.

Instead, the sport turned what should have been a remarkable crossover success into another evening dominated by controversy, debates over results and accusations of protectionism surrounding one of boxing’s biggest stars.

Verhoeven may never officially receive the recognition many believe he deserves. But he also doesn’t need a rematch to confirm what happened.

For ten rounds under the pyramids, Rico Verhoeven proved that he was there. This should be enough.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Boxing

Usyk Analyzes Anthony Joshuas Performance Against Kristian Prenga After Overcoming Two Knockdowns

Published

1 day ago

on

July 25, 2026

By

"Usyk Analyzes Anthony Joshua's Performance Against Kristian Prenga After Overcoming Two Knockdowns"

Oleksandr Usyk has shared his reaction to Anthony Joshua‘s dramatic knockout victory against Kristian Prenga.

Usyk nearly suffered his own shock defeat in May when he was pushed to the limit by kickboxing star Rico Verhoevenand two months on it was nrw teammate Joshua’s turn to come close to a massive upset loss that would have stunned the heavyweight division.

The Brit was dropped twice by massive underdog Prenga in the opening round of their clash in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, but ‘AJ’ managed to recover and record a big knockdown of his own in the second round that resulted in the stoppage victory.

Joshua and Usyk now train together, having famously had two battles for the unified world heavyweight title in 2021 and 2022, and the Ukrainian has had his say on his stablemate’s victory over Prenga.

Speaking to TalkSporttwo-time undisputed champion Usyk praised Joshua, insisting ‘AJ is back’ before predicting that Joshua will now claim a knockout win over long-term rival Tyson Fury in his next bout.

“Anthony Joshua is next undisputed champion. First round it’s a test but AJ is back.

It’s boxing, [the] big upper cut is good, it’s a knockdown. AJ [come] back and win.

“Greedy Belly [Fury] will speak now and say weak chin, Greedy Belly get out. AJ wins [against Fury], [he will] knock him out.”

Fury was victorious on Friday as he earned a seventh round retirement win against Mariusz Wach in Thailand, paving the way for the showdown against Joshua later this year.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Jake Paul Reacts to Anthony Joshuas Stunning Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Two Early Knockdowns

Published

2 days ago

on

July 25, 2026

By

"Jake Paul Reacts to Anthony Joshua's Stunning Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Two Early Knockdowns"

Jake Paul was the last man to fight Anthony Joshua and he has now revealed his verdict on AJ’s chaotic victory over Kristian Prenga.

Joshua went up against Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturdayin a clash that was expected to be a comfortable win for the former world heavyweight champion in order to set up the long overdue battle against Tyson Fury.

Any hopes of seeing that clash were nearly ended after AJ was dropped twice in the opening round of the bout, though he was able to recover and claim the second round knockout to come out on top and prevent a stunning shock upset from taking place.

Saturday’s outing saw Joshua back in the ring for the first time since his sixth round triumph over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul back in Decemberand now ‘The Problem Child’ himself has shared his reaction to his former rival’s victory over Prenga.

Posting on social mediaPaul praised AJ for earning the win, after returning to action following the tragic car crash he was involved in at the end of last year which took the lives of his two close friends.

“Happy for Joshua with that win after all he’s been through. Remembering Sina and Latz with this one.”

The win for Joshua should now tee up for meeting with Fury later this year, after ‘The Gypsy King’ held up his end of the bargain by also securing a win in his warm-up bout on Friday, securing a seventh round retirement win against Mariusz Wach.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Tony Bellew Reviews Anthony Joshuas Comeback Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Knockdown Drama

Published

2 days ago

on

July 25, 2026

By

Tony Bellew Reviews Anthony Joshua's Comeback Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Knockdown Drama

Anthony Joshua may have earned a knockout win over Kristian Prenga but the fight certainly didn’t unfold as most people expected.

Joshua was facing the Albanian in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, and it looked like a massive upset could be on the cards when he was dropped twice in the opening round.

‘AJ’ was able to recover and went on to secure a second round knockout victory to prevent the shock lossseemingly paving the way for the battle against Tyson Fury later this year.

One man who was ringside to witness the battle was former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellewand he praised Joshua’s ability to turn things around in the fight after describing it as ‘chaos’.

“We predicted round two but I don’t think we foresaw that. That was chaos. He doesn’t see the uppercut coming and finds himself on the floor without knowing how he got there.

“The second one he did see it coming and he was able to clench down on the jaw. He got up and then the experience that he has he used tonight because he tied him up. Against Andy Ruiz he didn’t know what he was doing and didn’t know how to do that, but tonight he did.

“He showed once again there is no quit. To be that hurt in the first round and get up, that’s the recoveries of power. People talk about your chin, but it’s not, it’s the level of fitness that gets you up from the floor.

“When Joshua gets a fighter hurt he’s the best finisher in the division. Whenever he hurts someone they’re gone. I haven’t seen him drop anybody and they survive, only Andy Ruiz. He’s a ruthless finisher.”

The clash between Joshua and Fury is now expected to be announced soon for later this year, after Fury won his own interim fight on Friday by defeating Mariusz Wach.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending