Rico Verhoeven filed an official protest following Usyk's victory
Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven announced that he has filed an official protest following his loss to WBC, WBA, and IBF heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk. The athlete was dissatisfied with the referee’s decision to stop the fight in the final seconds of the 11th round.
Verhoeven announced this on his Instagram page.
“On the way to the airport, we filed an official protest.
Rules only matter when they are followed at the most crucial moments,” the athlete wrote.
As a reminder, Oleksandr Usyk secured an early victory over Rico Verhoeven in the 11th round. The Ukrainian first sent his opponent to the canvas, after which the referee called a technical knockout one second before the end of the round.
Thus, Usyk maintained his perfect record in professional boxing—25 wins, 16 of them by knockout.
Former undisputed super middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez commented on the bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven, which took place in Giza, Egypt.
Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven commented on his bout against Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk, in which he suffered a defeat.
Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk defeated Dutchman Rico Verhoeven by technical knockout in the 11th round and successfully defended his heavyweight championship belts.
After defeating Rico Verhoeven by technical knockout in the 11th round, Ukrainian champion Oleksandr Usyk stated that he is ready to fight two more bouts.
Oleksandr Usyk stepped into the ring against Rico Verhoeven in a bout for the WBC heavyweight world title. The fight will take place in Giza and promises to be one of the most high-profile of the Ukrainian’s career. The Ring title belt will also be on the line.
Prior to this, Usyk and Verhoeven held a joint press conference before the fight and engaged in another battle of wits, where they openly expressed respect for one another but also their readiness for a tough fight. Both athletes emphasized that despite their different disciplines, they are united by a love of fighting and competition.
