Rico Verhoeven’s daring move into elite-level boxing has officially been rewarded after the kickboxing superstar received world rankings from both the WBC and WBA following his dramatic clash with Oleksandr Usyk.
When Verhoeven stepped into the ring against Usyk last month, most expected the night to end quickly.
Instead, the Dutchman pushed one of boxing’s pound-for-pound best fighters harder than almost anyone anticipated.
Despite entering the bout with just one professional boxing contest to his name — his only previous fight coming all the way back in 2014 — Verhoeven produced a performance that stunned fans, analysts and even sections of the boxing establishment.
The former GLORY heavyweight king was ultimately stopped in the eleventh round in controversial fashion, but by that stage he had already transformed the narrative surrounding the fight.
Heading into the penultimate round, Verhoeven was ahead on one scorecard and level on the other two, underlining just how competitive the bout had become.
Now, boxing’s sanctioning bodies have formally recognised that display.
The WBC has placed Verhoeven at No.8 in its updated heavyweight rankings, while the WBA has inserted him at No.15 in its latest standings, per TalkSport.
That means Verhoeven, whose professional boxing record now stands at 1-1, is officially viewed as a top-15 heavyweight contender by two of boxing’s biggest governing bodies.
The rankings mark a dramatic shift from the criticism that surrounded the fight announcement itself.
Many fans and fighters questioned why Verhoeven was being allowed to challenge for a heavyweight world title in only his second professional bout.
The WBC came under particular scrutiny after confirming its version of the heavyweight title would be on the line against Usyk.
Meanwhile, the WBA and IBF took a different approach.
Both organisations confirmed before the fight that Verhoeven would not have been eligible to win their heavyweight titles even if he defeated Usyk. Instead, their belts would have been declared vacant had the Ukrainian lost.
Despite the backlash, Verhoeven’s performance appears to have silenced many doubters.
To the amazement of fight fans, the Dutchman gave Usyk arguably his toughest fight to date and, in the eyes of many, deserved to be comfortably ahead before the controversial stoppage arrived in round eleven.
The WBC had already hinted that Verhoeven would receive a prominent ranking after the fight, regardless of the result.
Discussing the situation previously, WBC president Mauricio 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.”
The WBC’s latest rankings now back up those comments.
Verhoeven currently sits above several established names in the heavyweight picture and directly below some of the division’s biggest contenders.
Ranked ahead of him are Tyson Fury, Lawrence Okolie, Moses Itauma, Filip Hrgovic, Anthony Joshua, Frank Sanchez and Deontay Wilder.
Not every sanctioning body has followed suit, however.
The WBO has left Verhoeven out of its latest rankings entirely, while the IBF is yet to publish an updated set of heavyweight ratings since May 8.
That omission from the WBO is unlikely to surprise many within boxing.
WBO president Gustavo Oliveri had previously made it clear that the organisation was uncomfortable with sanctioning the fight in the first place.
Oliveri told talkSPORT.com before the contest that the WBO would not have approved Usyk vs Verhoeven if the Ukrainian had still been holding the organisation’s heavyweight title.
The WBO currently recognises Daniel Dubois as its heavyweight champion.
Despite the ongoing debate surrounding Verhoeven’s rapid rise in boxing, momentum for a rematch with Usyk appears to be growing.
Many observers felt the controversial stoppage left unfinished business between the pair, especially given how competitive the fight had become late on.
Still, the WBC has since ordered Usyk to defend his title against interim champion and mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel.
That means Verhoeven may have to wait for another shot at the Ukrainian.
Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh is reportedly hoping to make a rematch between Usyk and Verhoeven after the Kabayel fight takes place.
Whether that happens or not, Verhoeven’s standing within professional boxing has undeniably changed.
What initially looked like a novelty crossover fight has now turned into a genuine heavyweight storyline — and the sanctioning bodies are officially treating him as part of the world title picture.
Featured image credit: DAZN / X / talkSPORT / YouTube
