Verhoeven questions officiating integrity after Usyk stoppage
Rico Verhoeven has raised serious concerns about the officiating of his bout against Oleksandr Usyk in Egypt, citing discrepancies in open scoring and a controversial 11th-round stoppage that denied him a final round.
Kickboxer Rico Verhoeven has publicly challenged the officiating of his boxing match against heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, describing the outcome as "fishy" and questioning the integrity of the decision-making process. The bout, held in Egypt near the Pyramids of Giza, concluded in the 11th round when referee Mark Lyson stopped the fight one to two seconds after the bell sounded, a move Verhoeven contested as he remained responsive and intended to defend until the final round.
Verhoeven’s suspicions regarding the officiating emerged well before the final bell, rooted in the fight’s rarely utilised open scoring system. After four rounds, the scorecards showed the contest as even, a tally that contradicted Verhoeven’s assessment that he was leading three to one. These concerns intensified after eight rounds, when the scorecards remained level despite Verhoeven’s belief that he was landing more significant strikes and absorbing fewer blows.
Commentary statistics from Round 10 further highlighted the disparity between the judges’ assessments and the broadcast analysis, with the commentary team scoring the fight eight to two in Verhoeven’s favour. Verhoeven suggested that as an outsider to the boxing establishment, he may have been subjected to a "protective boxing lens" that required extra effort to secure a fair evaluation, noting that the official tallies failed to reflect his perceived dominance.
The conclusion of the fight occurred after Usyk landed a flush uppercut in the 11th round, sending Verhoeven into the ropes. Verhoeven argued that his history of overcoming adversity should have warranted greater latitude from the referee. After answering the count and having his mouthpiece replaced, Verhoeven heard the bell signalling the end of the round but was surprised when Lyson intervened one to two seconds later to wave off the contest, despite Verhoeven keeping his hands up and remaining active.
The premature stoppage has sparked immediate backlash, with Verhoeven insisting that both he and the spectators deserved to see the 12th round to avoid lingering "what-if" scenarios. While Usyk entered as a heavy betting favourite, the competitiveness of the bout and the broadcast team’s reaction painted a picture of Verhoeven’s strong performance, leaving the result of the controversial stoppage open to significant scrutiny.
