Oleksandr Usyk had to work tough for his victory over Rico Verhoeven last month, coming very close to a shocking and depressing defeat. Now heavyweight rival Tyson Fury has shared his assessment of Usyk’s performance in the match with the Dutch kickboxer.

When Usyk signed a contract to defend his world heavyweight title against Verhoeven, most of boxing was frustrated by the news, believing it would be an effortless night for the Ukrainian.

But ahead of the evening’s fight, those who had dismissed Verhoeven’s chances were shocked when the 1-0 challenger gave Usyk his “toughest fight yet” until a controversial 11th-round stoppage saved the champion’s face.

I’m talking to iFL TelevisionFury believes Usyk “probably lost every round” of the competition, while explaining why he believes the Ukrainian’s reasons for avoiding a clash with Moses Itauma are false.

“Bulls**t. Oleksandr is approaching 40, just got pushed all the way and probably lost every round against a kickboxer. So I don’t think he wants to fight a 21-year-old drill kid for no gain.”

“He won’t make a lot of money because Moses isn’t that popular or popular right now. He’s rising, he’s a rising star, but he’s not at the top right now, so [Usyk] you won’t gain anything from it.

“Everything to lose and nothing to gain. If he beats Moses, he’s beaten the adolescent kid coming, and if he loses to Moses, he’s lost to a 21-year-old, so it doesn’t make much sense [for Usyk to fight him]”

Usyk is expected to face German Agit Kabayel nextwhere a similar performance could translate into ending his unbeaten streak.

Trainer Robert Garcia believes the ongoing debate over Tyson Fury potentially teaming up with Dana White is overblown and insists boxing fans only care about one thing: getting the biggest fights.

Fury addressed the increasing conversations about his future at the UFC White House gala, where he hinted that a major announcement regarding Dana White may be on the horizon. The heavyweight star has been heavily linked to White’s burgeoning boxing business, even though his long-talked-about clash with Anthony Joshua remains unresolved.

Asked by Chris Algieri whether Fury’s promotional situation could complicate the long-awaited fight with Joshua, Garcia dismissed the idea.

“The fans don’t care. The fans don’t care. As long as the fight happens, I don’t care,” Garcia told Probox TV. “Anthony Joshua has obviously been very, very devoted and has worked very well with Eddie and Matchroom, and that’s perfect. I love that with fighters as well. But Tyson Fury, if he says Turki Alalshikh is his promoter, that fight can still happen.”

Garcia pointed out that the various parties involved in boxing’s biggest events had cooperated before, making the promotional disputes less significant than some had suggested.

“It’s not like they never worked together. They continue to work together. So it’s a fight that has nothing to do with the promoters. It’s not like the promoters are going to prevent the fight or anything like that. The promoters can make it happen. Turki can do it.”

The Mexican coach’s biggest fear was that Fury and Joshua would continue to fight on an interim basis rather than eventually meet in the ring.

Garcia said earlier in the discussion that neither heavyweight side needs another exhilarating fight and warned that the longer they wait, the greater the risk that injuries, losses or age will diminish the appeal of one of boxing’s most anticipated fights.

For Robert, the possible involvement of Dana White is secondary. If a Fury-Joshua delivery is still possible, boxing fans are unlikely to care whose logo appears in promotional materials.

Tomek Galm is a boxing journalist covering the global fight landscape since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, industry trends and fighter psychology.

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Last update: 16/06/2026 at 1:54

Lennox Lewis wasn’t just preparing to beat Mike Tyson in 2002. He made sure he never experienced the Evander Holyfield situation again.

By the time Lewis and Tyson finally stepped foot in the ring in Memphis, the undisputed heavyweight champion had already learned a painful lesson about leaving his fate in other people’s hands.

Three years earlier, Lewis appeared to out-do Holyfield over twelve rounds at Madison Square Garden. Most observers believe he did enough to become the undisputed heavyweight champion.

Instead, he walked away with a lopsided draw.

Referee Eugenia Williams somehow scored the fight for Holyfield, creating one of the most controversial scorecards in heavyweight history.

Lewis openly disputed the result.

Rainfall at Holyfield

The injustice was finally righted eight months later when Lewis defeated Holyfield in a rematch and finally secured the undisputed championship.

Even then, the scorecards still raised eyebrows.

Bill Graham scored the fight 117-111 for Lewis. Chuck Giampa had it 116-112. American judge Jerry Roth saw it much closer at 115-113.

This time, Lewis got the decision he deserved, but the contrast between the scorecards only reinforced concerns that had lingered since the first fight.

The Briton had already been burned once, and even when the verdict was finally reached in the rematch, one of the judges still saw the fight much closer than most observers.

Rightly or wrongly, these experiences left a mark. For Lewis and his team, the doubts never completely disappeared.

Opportunities were missed

When Tyson became his next opponent, Lewis entered the biggest fight of his career carrying those experiences with him.

Tyson remained boxing’s biggest attraction. The fight took place in America and millions of dollars were at stake.

Reports at the time indicated that the Lewis camp was pushing for the creation of a panel of judges that would not include U.S. officials.

After what happened in the first Holyfield fight, and after another American referee scored the rematch much closer than most thought, Lewis no longer wanted to leave anything to chance.

Whether viewed as wise caution or lingering distrust, the move showed how deeply the Holyfield story influenced Lewis and those around him.

Tyson never made it to the judges

Ultimately, Lewis never needed the scorecards he was worried about. The champion crushed Tyson via submission in the eighth round.

After years of wondering whether the referees would treat him fairly, Lewis removed them completely from the equation.

When the biggest fight of his career finally came, Lewis made sure Mike Tyson never came close to leaving the outcome in the judges’ hands.

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.