Rico Verhoeven's appeal against his loss to unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk has been dismissed. The decision was made by an appeal commission, which agreed that the fight was stopped after a bell for the end of the round sounded, but said this did not affect the outcome.
Verhoeven, a 37-year-old kickboxing legend, had called for a rematch and an apology from officials after the heavyweight world title bout in Egypt on 23 May was controversially stopped in the 11th round. He had troubled Usyk for long spells, but a late surge by the Ukrainian great sent the Dutchman to the canvas.
Posting on his Instagram, Verhoeven wrote that the appeal commission confirmed the bell ending round 11 had already sounded before the referee physically waved off the fight. He added that the official timekeeper and the ringside doctor also confirmed that he showed no signs of confusion or disorientation after the bout.
The scorecards at the time of the fight ending read 95-95, 95-95 and 96-94 to Verhoeven. However, the commission's view was that none of these findings changed the outcome. Verhoeven has promised to be ready for a rematch with Usyk, who remains undefeated in 25 professional fights.
What this means for you: While this decision may be disappointing for Verhoeven and his fans, it is unlikely to have any significant impact on UK households or businesses. However, it does highlight the controversy surrounding the stoppage of the fight and the desire for a rematch.