Verhoeven seeks apology and rematch after Usyk stoppage
The Story
Rico Verhoeven, a Dutch former kickboxer who switched to boxing, wants an apology and a rematch after a contentious stoppage in his WBC title bout with unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. The fight, only Verhoeven’s second in boxing, ended one second before the end of the 11th round at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Scorecards published by The Ring magazine showed two judges had the fight tied and one had Verhoeven ahead at the time of the stoppage.
Key Facts
- The fight took place last Saturday at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
- Verhoeven was stopped one second before the end of the 11th of 12 rounds.
- This was Verhoeven’s second boxing match after switching from kickboxing.
- Two judges scored the fight 95-95 and the third had Verhoeven ahead 96-94 going into the 11th round.
- Verhoeven told the BBC on Thursday that he wants an apology, saying “mistakes can be made.”
- His team has lodged an appeal with the WBC.
- Germany’s Agit Kabayel is the WBC’s mandatory challenger, meaning Usyk may have to fight him before any rematch with Verhoeven.
Conflicting Reports
No conflicting reports identified in the source article.
Still Unclear
Whether the bell rang before the referee stopped the fight, as some replays suggested. It is also unclear if Usyk will grant a rematch or face mandatory challenger Kabayel first.
Misconceptions
No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.
Key Figures
- Rico Verhoeven: Dutch former kickboxer who switched to boxing.
- Oleksandr Usyk: unified world heavyweight champion.
- Agit Kabayel: WBC mandatory challenger from Germany.
- The Ring magazine: published the scorecards.
- BBC: interviewed Verhoeven.
Sources: The Guardian
