JAKARTA - Rico Verhoeven's appeal to overturn the controversial result of his fight against three-time undisputed world boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk has come to nothing.
Verhoeven and his team have received an official verdict from the Egyptian Professional Boxing Association which oversaw their fight at the Giza Pyramids, Egypt, on May 23, 2026. As a result, Usyk was still declared the winner of the fight.
The Dutch fighter then wrote in an Instagram post that the appeals commission confirmed that the bell that marked the end of the 11th round had rung before the referee physically stopped the match.
"The official timekeeper said exactly that, but the commission's view is that none of the findings change the result," Verhoeven wrote, quoted by BBC Sport.
Verhoeven, known as a kickboxing legend, was initially not favored in the duel with Usyk. However, he managed to reverse all predictions by giving a fierce fight and making the Ukrainian champion very overwhelmed.
When entering the 11th round or the last two, the competition on the ring was very intense with a very thin point difference. Based on the assessment record, two judges gave a draw score of 95-95, while the third judge gave Verhoeven an advantage of 96-94.
Then, when the round left 20 seconds, Verhoeven surprisingly fell due to a high-accuracy lead uppercut. Even in a daze, the Dutch fighter managed to get up before the referee's count ended.
He also got a precious few seconds to regain consciousness when his mouthguard was put back in his mouth.
However, the momentum was not wasted by the opponent. As soon as the fight resumed, Usyk immediately rushed forward and launched a barrage of unstoppable punches.
When he saw Verhoeven who was unable to provide any meaningful resistance, referee Mark Lyson finally decided to stop the match. Usyk was declared the winner in a dramatic match that ended before the last round.
"What remains etched in my memory is the feeling that, after 11 unforgettable rounds on one of the biggest and most epic stages in the world, the story stopped before it reached its end," said Verhoeven.
The victory over Verhoeven made Usyk successfully defend the WBC belt at stake in the duel. In addition, the result made the London 2012 Olympic gold medalist keep a record of always winning in his 25 professional duels.
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