Oleksandr Usyk faces Verhoeven rematch demand, Kabayel wait

Rico Verhoeven wants a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk after their fight ended controversially in the 11th round last month, but the Ukrainian heavyweight may have other obligations waiting. Sky Sports reports that Verhoeven, the longtime Glory kickboxing champion who fought Usyk in only his second pro boxing bout, delivered a competitive performance before being stopped in front of the pyramids in Giza. Now he says the fight deserves a proper conclusion.

"After 11 unforgettable rounds on one of the biggest and most epic stages in the world, the story simply stopped before it reached its ending," Verhoeven said, per Sky Sports. "I truly believe everyone deserved the chance to see how this fight was meant to end. The fans were denied a 12th round."

Usyk's WBC mandatory and retirement questions

Usyk holds the WBC, IBF and WBA titles and must defend the WBC belt against mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel if he keeps the strap. Boxing trainer Gary Logan told the outlet that Verhoeven should fight other top heavyweights first rather than jump straight into a rematch. Logan also suggested Usyk, who turns 39 this year, consider hanging up the gloves. "He's got nothing more to prove. He's done everything," Logan said on the Toe2Toe podcast. "His legacy has not been tainted. It's done no damage."

Hamzah Sheeraz, who won the WBO middleweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super-middleweight title on the Usyk-Verhoeven undercard, warned that a second fight does Verhoeven no favours beyond his bank balance. "Usyk's the king of beating them twice," Sheeraz said. The champion has swept rematches with Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, typically improving his performance the second time around.

Usyk walked to the ring in Egypt dressed as Alexander the Great and wove encrypted messages about Ukraine into his fight night costume. Sergey Lapin, who runs Usyk's Ready To Fight promotional company, told Sky Sports that the fighter's first coach predicted he would become a legend. No timeline has been announced for Usyk's next fight, whether that involves Verhoeven, Kabayel or retirement.

Source: skysports.com