“I really fought this fight like I was the champion and he was the challenger,” Andy Cruz told BoxeoCurbanoNetwork. “What happened was that I felt comfortable. I could have taken a little more risk, but I said that because he was the champion, I wasn’t going to risk getting hit with even one punch. I wanted to beat him cleanly. I wanted my punches to be as neat as possible.” I think I was a more effective fighter but I am aware that when you fight a champion, you have to rise well above the champion.”

Cruz (6-1, 3 KO) submitted Muratalla by a 12-round majority in a fight that many fans believed was closer than the official scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 114-114. It was the first professional defeat of Cruz’s career and his first fight scheduled for 12 rounds.

Despite the setback, Cruz said he gained valuable experience and still wants to finish unfinished business with the IBF lightweight champion.

“I wanted the rematch immediately, but it’s going to happen and I don’t mind,” Cruz said. “I can’t complain because I get a chance to fight for the title soon if I can get through this elimination. I can tell he knows he won’t face the same Andy Cruz.”

Before a second fight with Muratalla becomes a reality, Cruz must first defeat Albert Bell (28-0, 9 KO) on July 18 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. This fight is an IBF lightweight title eliminator.

The winner will be in position to fight Muratalla, who is scheduled to defend his IBF lightweight title against Robson Conceicao on August 1. If Muratalla retains the belt and remains at lightweight, the Bell-Cruz winner will be in line to fight for the championship.

In statement released on Tuesday, Verhoeven revealed details of the ruling and the protest filed by his team following the May 23 heavyweight title fight at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt.

“The ruling confirmed that the bell ending round 11 had already sounded before the referee physically waved his hand to end the fight,” Verhoeven said. “The ringside doctor also confirmed that I did not show any signs of disorientation or disorientation after the fight.”

However, the commission found that these findings did not change the official result, leaving Usyk’s 11th-round stoppage victory intact.

Verhoeven also renewed his call for a second fight with the Ukrainian champion.

“For me, the conclusion is actually very elementary. Let’s end this story and give the fans an immediate rematch,” Verhoeven said.

The stoppage became one of boxing’s most talked-about moments of the year after the bell sounded with Usyk charging slow in the 11th round before the referee stepped in moments later to stop the fight.

Usyk retained his WBC heavyweight title with the victory. At the time of the stoppage, the official scorecards read 96-94 for Verhoeven and 95-95 twice, showing how close the fight remained heading into the final stages.

However, a rematch is not guaranteed. Usyk could instead be sent to mandatory challenger for the WBC title Agit Kabayel, who remains in line for a title fight.

Rico Verhoeven has shared his reaction after the decision to dismiss him following his controversial defeat to Oleksandr Usyk was revealed.

Kickboxing legend Verhoeven challenged Usyk for the heavyweight crown last month at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt, in a fight that most people thought was a large mismatch.

That certainly wasn’t the case, however, as the Dutchman fought Usyk side-by-side for 11 rounds and it looked like the challenger might be on the verge of one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

In the final phase of the 11th round, Usyk finally fired the shot that knocked down Verhoeven, and although the kickboxing star was able to get back on his feet, further action in the corner led to referee Mark Lyson stopping the fight, which many fans prematurely believed.

Further controversy arose when it emerged that the bell signaling the end of the round had already rung before the stoppage, leading to Verhoeven filing a formal appeal against the defeat.

The Dutchman has now announced the outcome of the appeal in a statement on social mediarevealing that he failed to meet the challenge because the committee found that relevant factors did not change the outcome of the competition.

“On May 24, we filed a formal protest because we truly believed that the way the fight was stopped was seriously questionable. On June 16, we received the Commission’s decision.

“The ruling confirmed that the bell to end round 11 had already sounded before the referee physically waved his hand to end the fight. The official timekeeper said exactly that. The ringside doctor also confirmed that I did not show any signs of disorientation or disorientation after the fight. In the Commission’s opinion, none of these findings changed the result.”

Despite the failure of the appeal, Verhoeven once again made it clear that he believed Usyk should do the right thing and award the rematch.

“Listen, this was never about taking anything away from Oleksandr. He is one of the greatest riders of his generation and I have nothing but respect for what he has done. What remains in my mind is that after eleven unforgettable rounds on one of the biggest and most epic stages in the world, history simply stopped before it was over.

“I truly believe that everyone deserved a chance to see how this fight ended. The fans were denied a 12th round. After everything we both put into this fight, they deserved to see this end.”

“So for me the conclusion is actually very elementary. Let’s end this story and give the fans an immediate rematch!”

For now, it appears Usyk has one of two options for his next fight – either a rematch with Verhoeven or a clash with mandatory WBC title challenger Agit Kabayel.