Rico Verhoeven was one second away from surviving the 11th round on Saturday. He was still standing under a barrage of punches from Oleksandr Usyk when referee Mark Lyson stepped in, calling a controversial TKO loss. The shocking stoppage ruined what would have been the biggest upset in modern heavyweight boxing.
In only his second professional boxing match, the Dutch kickboxing champion was one round and one second away from shattering Usyk’s perfect record. Instead, the 39-year-old Usyk avoided disaster, retained his WBC heavyweight title and improved to 25-0.
Verhoeven was visibly furious with the abrupt ending. Rather than walking away quietly, his team announced plans to officially appeal the referee’s decision. But before that, he shared a clear message for the referee because he was the man behind this chaos.
Rico Verhoeven Sends Message to Referee Mark Lyson After Losing to Oleksandr Usyk
Verhoeven made his position clear to reporters after the fight. Because he was ahead of one judge’s scorecards, the abrupt 11th-round finish hit him like a truck.
“Of course, mistakes can be made,” Verhoeven said, “but looking back at it, the referee should admit his mistake, look back at it, and say, ‘It’s either a no contest or we go to the scorecards.’ And if we go to the scorecards, I was ahead.”
Verhoeven had every right to be mad about the scorecards. After ten rounds, judge Pasquale Procopio actually had him winning 96-94, while the other two judges had it dead even at 95-95. If the referee Mark Lyson hadn’t stepped in, Usyk’s late knockdown would have given him a 10-8 round. That would have left the whole fight up in the air, going into a final 12th round that we never got to see.
The whole event was a wild spectacle right at the Pyramids of Giza, packed with only an exclusive crowd. Verhoeven is a kickboxing legend, but this was only his second time in a pro boxing ring. He totally defied expectations, using his massive size and pressure to keep Usyk frustrated and outworked for most of the night.
ALSO READ: Monumental Undercard Upsets In Egypt Saturday
Verhoeven’s team is appealing the loss. They want the fight ruled a no-contest or decided by the scorecards. Both options are unlikely. Boxing commissions almost never overturn a referee’s safety stoppage. To change the result, the WBC would have to find a major rule violation, not just a bad call.
So, in this scenario, a rematch is much more realistic. Everyone was frustrated by the ending and both sides are already talking about a second fight. And before it happens, Verhoeven wants accountability from Lyson.
Public figures like Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua also heavily criticized the shocking result. However, the opinion wasn’t unanimous.
Carnelo Alvarez, who is the second-highest paid athlete, defended the referee. He argued that the stoppage saved Verhoeven from serious damage. Everyone in the combat sports community is talking about this right now. So, it will take a few more days to settle the dust.
PHOTO CREDIT: IMAGO / Middle East Images
