Rico Verhoeven is asking for an apology, an appeal review and another shot at Oleksandr Usyk after one of the strangest heavyweight endings of the year.
The Dutch kickboxing great, who recently crossed into boxing, wants a rematch after his WBC heavyweight title fight with Usyk ended with one second left in the 11th round at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
The Guardian, via Reuters, reported that Verhoeven wants officials to acknowledge the controversial finish after replays suggested the bell may have sounded before the referee signaled the stoppage.
Verhoeven Wants an Apology Before Another Usyk Fight
Verhoeven told BBC Sport that his team lodged an appeal with the WBC after reviewing the stoppage. He said he wants an apology from the officials involved, even if he does not expect the result to be overturned.
Usyk still hurt him late. That part is not really in dispute. The argument is whether Verhoeven should have been allowed to reach the bell and get one more minute in the corner before the final round.
For Verhoeven, the timing is the whole case. He was not asking boxing fans to ignore the knockdown. He was arguing that a close title fight should not have ended in the final second if the bell had already sounded or was about to sound.
The Scorecards Made the Stoppage Harder to Dismiss
The fight was not one-sided when it ended. The Guardian reported that scorecards published by The Ring showed two judges had the bout even at 95-95 entering the 11th round, while the third had Verhoeven ahead 96-94.
Those numbers are why the rematch demand has more force than a routine post-fight complaint. Verhoeven was not only surviving against one of the most skilled heavyweights of his era. He had put himself close enough on the cards to make the final round meaningful.
Usyk’s late surge protected his unbeaten record, but the scorecards left Verhoeven with a clear argument: boxing never got to see the last three minutes of a fight that was still alive.
A Kickboxing Champion Nearly Changed the Heavyweight Conversation
Verhoeven entered the fight with a very different boxing résumé from Usyk. BBC Sport noted that he had reigned for more than 4,000 days as a kickboxing world champion, but had only one professional boxing bout before facing Usyk.
That gap made his performance the bigger surprise. Usyk is an unbeaten heavyweight champion, a former undisputed cruiserweight champion and one of the most technically respected fighters in the sport.
Verhoeven was expected to bring size, toughness and elite combat-sports experience. Instead, he also brought enough composure and pressure to make Usyk work through one of the most awkward nights of his heavyweight reign.
Agit Kabayel Could Complicate the Rematch
A second Usyk-Verhoeven fight is not automatic. Germany’s Agit Kabayel is the WBC mandatory challenger, and Usyk may have to face him before any rematch.
Sky Sports reported that Kabayel was at ringside and entered the ring after Usyk’s win to make his challenge clear.
That leaves Usyk with two different kinds of pressure. Kabayel has the sanctioning-body claim. Verhoeven has the public argument because of the scorecards, the stoppage timing and the surprise of his performance.
Verhoeven Now Has the Rematch Argument
Verhoeven has not framed his appeal as a guaranteed path to erasing the loss. His comments have focused on getting the ending reviewed and having officials acknowledge what he believes went wrong.
He also left Egypt with a different reputation than the one he brought into the ring. Before the fight, the matchup looked like a champion facing a dangerous but inexperienced boxing outsider. After the fight, Verhoeven could point to the cards and argue that he had pushed Usyk into a much closer night than expected.
“I feel like I’m the uncrowned king,” Verhoeven told The Guardian.