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.

“I just saw the ending because of all the comments I was reading, and they stopped the fight after the bell,” Verhoeven told Boxing News.

“So the bell rang and then they stopped the fight. So yeah, I guess we can just go and file an appeal because it doesn’t make any sense, right? If the bell rang and then they stopped the fight, then why, you know, then it’s my time to rest.”

Verhoeven later explained why he believed the fight should have continued, saying he was aware of what happened after the knockdown and believed he was defending himself properly.

“I did the math. It was a good math. Yes, it was necessary. But I felt like I heard a click. So I thought, ‘OK, let’s go.’ We have about 10 seconds,” Verhoeven said.

“So let’s keep moving. Hands up and catching the shots. I feel like that’s what I was doing. So right away when the ref came in, I wasn’t stunned or anything. I was looking at the ref like, ‘Why are you stopping? We’re almost there.’

Verhoeven also mentioned the possibility of the fight being declared a no-contest or having it recorded on the scorecards rather than ending in a defeat at half-time.

“Looking back, even the bell rang. He should have been aware of that. Of course, mistakes can happen, but looking back, the referee should have admitted his mistake and said, ‘Hey, so either there’s no contest or we’ll go to the scorecards,'” Rico said.

“And I think if we go to the scorecards, I had the advantage.”

Despite the controversial ending, Verhoeven said the performance convinced him to pursue a boxing career after pushing Usyk harder than many expected.

“He had both hands occupied. He is the undisputed champion and until tonight I had never seen any boxer do that to him,” Verhoeven said.

“I found my up-to-date passion in combat sports. I hope I surprised and shocked the boxing world because I’m here to stay.”

A successful appeal could cause an undesirable delay for Usyk, who has already been linked to several huge heavyweight fights. Verhoeven’s performance and reaction after the break could also give the rematch more commercial value than many expected before Saturday night.

Top trainer Abel Sanchez has revealed his predictions for the highly anticipated heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

The pair are expected to clash later this year, probably in October or November, with ‘AJ’ first having to take care of Kristian Prenga on July 25.

This is his first appearance since scoring the goal sixth round finish to Jake Paul in December which followed his fifth-round loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.

It’s also been less than five months since Joshua was involved in a tragic car accident, leaving him mourning the loss of close friends.

Meanwhile, Fury is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov last month, when he ended a 16-month sideline following a back-to-back defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024.

However, despite his return to action, the 37-year-old is currently pushing for a second warm-up fight in August, with the likes of Jarrell Miller and Andy Ruiz Jr. among potential opponents.

In any case, former trainer Gennady Golovkin Sanchez always supported Fury in beating Joshua, saying: Professional boxing fans that he sees no reason to change his mind.

“Tyson already has a fight under his belt. Anthony has had some tough personal issues recently, so that could be a factor in how he looks [approaches] fight.

“I hope he’s OK and it will be a great fight. I still pick Tyson to win – I’ve always picked Tyson to win against Joshua. Fury is one of those fighters who sides with his opponent.”

Although Joshua and Fury have signed a contract to fight later this year, the news of a second warm-up fight for “The Gypsy King” only added a layer of uncertainty to the equation.