Rico Verhoeven has issued a stern warning to Oleksandr Usyk after their controversial heavyweight clash in Egypt, insisting he only revealed a fraction of his arsenal and would triumph in a rematch. The former Glory kickboxing world champion was stopped in the 11th round at the Pyramids of Giza last weekend, a decision that sparked widespread outrage among boxing fans.
Controversial Stoppage
Verhoeven, 37, ended his glittering kickboxing career last year to pursue boxing. Despite having only one previous professional boxing bout, he stunned the sport by going toe-to-toe with Usyk for 10-plus rounds. The Dutchman was relentless in his approach before the referee stepped in, seemingly after the bell had sounded. One judge even had Verhoeven ahead on the scorecards at the time of the stoppage.
Verhoeven's Confidence
Speaking to Sky Sports, Verhoeven expressed belief that he could defeat Usyk in a second meeting. "I like to believe there is a world where maybe he wasn't at his best, I was doing really well, and those two things came together to make the fight look the way it did," he said. "I definitely hurt him in different spots, especially to the body. Not hurt to the point where I was close to getting him out of there, but the next day, he will have felt that. This is just me opening the toolbox. I only showed a few tools. There are multiple ways we can fight Usyk. The next one, again, is going to be a surprise."
Despite the setback, Verhoeven is not considering retirement and remains eager for high-profile bouts. "I'm open to seeing what opportunities become available because I've been reached out to by the whole world. It's been crazy. Let's see what next steps make sense," he added.
Scorecard Controversy
Verhoeven believed he had a commanding lead before the stoppage. On the Ariel Helwani Show, he revealed: "There were open scorecards and after four rounds, they said we're even. I was like, 'Hmm, ok.' I felt like it was at least three to one, but ok, we're even, that's fine. Then we got the scorecards again after another four rounds and still we were even. It started to feel fishy because I felt like I was winning these rounds." He scored the fight 8-2 in his favour after 10 rounds, questioning how he lost rounds where Usyk barely landed punches.
Future Plans
Usyk, who claims he has only two fights left before retiring, is expected to face Agit Kabayel next. However, many have called for an immediate rematch with Verhoeven. The Dutchman remains ready for anyone: "I just want to make the biggest fights - big fights at crazy locations. We draw a bunch of viewers. They've seen what we're capable of, and they see I'm one of the top box-office stars. It's not up to me who I fight next. It's up to the organisation. Who do they want to see me against? I'll be ready to fight anybody - anybody."
