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.

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.