Anthony Joshua has joined the chorus of voices condemning referee Mark Lycett for stopping Rico Verhoeven's clash with Oleksandr Usyk prematurely. Verhoeven was ahead on one of the three judges' scorecards when he was dropped by Usyk in the penultimate round in front of the pyramids. The Dutchman beat the count, but British official Lycett waved off the contest—even though the bell had already sounded. The boxing world immediately condemned the decision, and Joshua agreed.
Joshua's Verdict
Asked if he thought Verhoeven was winning the fight, Joshua said: "I don't know, but it was a good fight. I knew he was a good fighter." Joshua, who was the original opponent for Verhoeven before he was injured in a car crash in Nigeria last Christmas, was then asked if the fight was stopped early, to which he added: "Yeah, definitely."
Verhoeven's Reaction
Verhoeven has already appealed the decision and demanded a rematch with the unified heavyweight boxing world champion. He said after the fight: "Of course I thought it was an early stoppage, but in the end, it's not up to me. Still, I found it a little bit early. I believe that the referee knows that we're almost at the end of the round. Let me go out on my shield or let the bell go. That's what I thought, but like I said, it's not up to me."
He added: "It was so close. Let me go out on my shield or go into the 12th. I was close. We were pretty equal on the scorecards, or at least that's what I felt like. But I'm very proud, very thankful. I'm super proud with my performance. The boxing world will hopefully now embrace me as a boxer, as well."
Usyk's Response
Usyk admitted he had had a tough night at the office, saying: "Thank you so much. I know right now, Ukrainian people are sitting in the bomb shelter, my daughter too, in a bomb shelter, sent me a message saying, 'Papa, I love you, you will win'. Thank you so much, Rico. You are an amazing fighter. Thank you so much to your team. My team, I love you. My wife, I love you. You are my light and my heart. This fight was hard. It was a good fight. Thank you, God."
