Rico Verhoeven’s (1-1, 1 KO) appeal of his controversial 11th-round stoppage loss to Oleksandr Usyk (25-0, 16 KOs) has been rejected, with the commission ruling that the evidence presented was insufficient to overturn the result despite acknowledging the bell had sounded before the referee waved off the fight.
“The ruling confirmed that the bell ending Round 11 had already sounded before the referee physically waved off the fight. The ringside doctor also confirmed that I showed no signs of confusion or disorientation after the bout,” Verhoeven
The commission accepted those facts but ruled they did not warrant changing the official outcome, leaving Usyk’s stoppage victory and his WBC heavyweight title intact. At the time of the stoppage, two judges had the fight scored 95-95 with a third card reading 96-94 in Verhoeven’s favor, underlining how close the contest remained. Verhoeven wasted no time calling for a second fight.
“For me, the conclusion is actually very simple. Let’s finish the story and give the fans that immediate rematch,” Verhoeven