Rico Verhoeven may have left Egypt without the WBC heavyweight title, but the Dutch kickboxing icon has already forced his way into the centre of boxing’s biggest conversations.
What was initially billed as a risky crossover experiment quickly became something far more serious as Verhoeven pushed Oleksandr Usyk to the brink in a fight few expected to become remotely competitive.
Instead, the GLORY heavyweight king produced a performance that stunned large sections of the combat sports world.
For long stretches, Verhoeven looked composed, dangerous, and fully capable of pulling off one of the most remarkable upsets heavyweight boxing has seen in years.
That is exactly why the controversial ending has continued to dominate discussion in the aftermath.
Verhoeven was eventually stopped, but the circumstances surrounding the finish immediately sparked debate, with the Dutchman now pursuing an appeal.
Despite that, the WBC appear ready to move forward with another challenger first.
Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh hinted in the ring after the fight that Agit Kabayel would remain next in line for Usyk, and the WBC have now effectively confirmed that direction.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman addressed the situation directly and made it clear that Kabayel’s position has already been earned, per TalkSport.
“Agit is the WBC Interim Champion and Mandatory Contender for Oleksandr Usyk. He has earned his stripes,” he said.
“The fight between Agit and Oleksandr has to happen this year. We will order it and then we will see. Agit has a great ability to punch to the body. He`s not as tall as most heavyweights, but he has a huge heart.”
That likely means Verhoeven’s hopes of an immediate revenge fight against Usyk are on hold for now, with potential locations for the Kabayel bout reportedly including Germany or Istanbul.
But while the rematch may have to wait, the bigger picture for Verhoeven has changed dramatically after just one appearance at elite level.
The 37-year-old entered the contest facing huge questions over whether a kickboxing superstar could genuinely compete with the best heavyweights in boxing.
By the end of the night, those doubts had almost entirely disappeared.
Not only did Verhoeven survive against one of the sport’s pound-for-pound greats, he looked capable of winning.
The scorecards were expected to be razor close had the fight reached the final bell, making the stoppage even more painful for his supporters.
Now, the WBC have confirmed that Verhoeven’s display will officially earn him a place in their heavyweight rankings.
And Sulaiman did not sound like somebody viewing Verhoeven as a novelty act.
Instead, he suggested the Dutchman has already done enough to deserve another world title opportunity in the future.
When asked how highly Verhoeven could be ranked, Sulaiman said: “I believe the right thing would be Rico is going to get ranked for sure by the WBC. And he deserves to fight again for the world title.
“It’s a matter of the ratings committee, but I would say top, top, top. We took a lot of criticism, and now we will not hear anything said. The result was it.”
Those comments are particularly significant given the criticism the WBC faced before sanctioning the fight.
Unlike the IBF and WBA, the WBC were willing to allow Verhoeven the opportunity to compete directly for their heavyweight championship despite his limited professional boxing background.
That decision was heavily questioned in the build-up.
But after the performance Verhoeven delivered, the governing body now appear fully vindicated in their stance.
Sulaiman’s remarks also strongly suggest Verhoeven’s future in boxing could extend well beyond a one-off spectacle appearance.
A world ranking immediately places him into the wider heavyweight conversation, opening the door to major fights even if the Usyk rematch is delayed.
And after coming “ever so close” to pulling off the impossible against the Ukrainian champion, there will be no shortage of interest in seeing where he goes next.
For Verhoeven, the defeat may ultimately have elevated his reputation more than a routine win ever could.
He arrived in boxing looking to make a statement.
Few could have imagined it would end with the WBC publicly insisting he “deserves to fight again for a world title.”
Featured image credit: Ring Magazine / Instagram / DAZN / X
