Rico Verhoeven has finally shared the findings of the boxing commission following his official protest regarding his explosive stoppage loss to Oleksandr Usyk — and the Dutch heavyweight has made one thing crystal clear: He still believes the fight never got the ending it deserved.
Weeks after one of the most controversial finishes in recent heavyweight memory, Verhoeven has issued a lengthy public statement confirming the result will stand — but insists the commission’s findings only strengthened his belief that an immediate rematch is the only way to settle it.
The GLORY king was stopped in the 11th round by referee Mark Lyson after Usyk landed a brutal uppercut that dropped him late in the fight. But chaos followed almost instantly as replays appeared to show the bell sounding before the referee officially waved it off.
That timing became the centre of Verhoeven’s appeal.
And now, he says the commission has confirmed it.
In a post shared to Instagram, Verhoeven writes: “I’ve had some time to let all of this sink in…
“On 24 May, we filed a formal protest because we genuinely believed there was a serious question around the way the fight was stopped. On 16 June, we received the Commission’s decision. The ruling confirmed that the bell ending Round 11 had already sounded before the referee physically waved off the fight. The official timekeeper said exactly that. The ringside doctor also confirmed that I showed no signs of confusion or disorientation after the bout. The Commission’s view was that none of those findings changed the outcome.”
That update answers the legal side of the argument — but for Verhoeven, it’s done little to settle the sporting side.
The Dutchman made it clear his frustration has never been about taking credit away from Usyk, who retained his WBC heavyweight title, but about the way the contest ended.
“Look, this has never been about taking anything away from Oleksandr. He’s one of the greatest fighters of this generation and I have nothing but respect for what he’s achieved,” he wrote. “What stays with me is the feeling that, after eleven unforgettable rounds on one of the biggest and most epic stages in the world, the story simply stopped before it reached its ending.”
That feeling has been echoed by plenty of fans too.
Verhoeven’s performance surprised almost everyone. Heading into the championship rounds, he had pushed Usyk far harder than many expected. Going into the final six minutes, he was ahead on one judge’s card, with the other two scoring it level.
For long stretches, the kickboxing legend looked like he might pull off one of the wildest crossover upsets boxing has seen.
He landed first in the opening round, disrupted Usyk’s rhythm with awkward movement, and repeatedly forced the Ukrainian backwards. By the eighth, ninth and tenth rounds, Verhoeven was enjoying his best moments on the ropes, backing up the undefeated heavyweight champion and making the fight genuinely uncomfortable.
Then came the 11th.
Usyk landed the uppercut. Verhoeven hit the canvas. And seconds later, everything exploded.
Now, reflecting on that moment, Verhoeven says he still believes the final chapter was taken away from both fighters.
“Oleksandr had a strong moment. He caught me well and you could feel the tension in the fight shift. That’s what happens at this level. Momentum can change in an instant,” Rico writes. “Throughout my career, there have been moments where people thought it was over.
“In multiple world title fights, I’ve found ways to turn things around and leave with my hand raised. That’s just how I’m built. Never give up and always believe that it ain’t over until the bell rings. No pun intended! (Maybe a little bit)”.
For Verhoeven, the frustration isn’t just personal.
He believes the fans were denied the ending they paid for.
“I truly believe everyone deserved the chance to see how this fight was meant to end. The fans were denied a 12th round. After everything we’d both put into that fight, they deserved to see how it ended,” he continued. “I never got the chance to find out if this would have been one of those nights I had before.
“And Oleksandr was denied the opportunity to finish it in a way that nobody could question.”
That’s ultimately where Verhoeven’s focus now sits.
Not on the protest. Not on overturning the loss. But on running it back.
“So for me, the conclusion is actually very simple,” he writes. “Let’s finish the story and give the fans that immediate rematch! The ruling answered the legal questions, but it left another question hanging in the air, one that has stayed with so many people since that night…
“How was this story supposed to end? I’LL BE READY OLEKSANDR!”
And with fan demand for a rematch already surging online, Verhoeven may have just turned one controversial ending into the beginning of an even bigger sequel.
Featured image credit: X/DAZN (screenshots)
