“I only saw the end because of all the comments I read, and they stopped the fight after the bell,” Verhoeven told Boxing News.
“So the bell went, and then they stopped the fight. So yeah, I guess we can just go appeal because it doesn’t make sense, right? Like if the bell rings and then the fight stops, why, you know, it’s like it’s my time to rest.”
Verhoeven later elaborated on why he felt the fight should have continued, saying he was aware of what happened after the knockdown and believed he was defending himself properly.
“I got the score. It was a good score. Yeah, it was necessary. But I felt because I heard the click. So I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s go. We got like 10 seconds,'” Verhoeven said.
“So let’s just keep moving. Hands up and catch the shots. I feel like that’s what I did. That’s why I immediately when the ref came in, I wasn’t blinded or whatever. I looked at the ref like, why are you stopping? We’re almost there.”
Verhoeven also floated the possibility of the match being decided as a no-contest or sent to the scorecards instead of ending in a stoppage loss.
“Looking back on it, even the clock went. That’s something he has to be aware of. Of course mistakes can be made, but looking back on it, the referee has to admit his mistake and say, ‘Hey, so it’s either a no contest or we go to the scorecards,'” Rico said.
“And I think if we go to the scorecards, I was ahead.”
Despite the controversial finish, Verhoeven said the performance convinced him to continue boxing after pushing Usyk harder than many expected.
“He had both hands full. He was the undisputed champion, and I haven’t seen a boxer do that to him until tonight,” Verhoeven said.
“I have found my new passion within combat sports. I hope I have surprised and shocked the boxing world because I am here to stay.”
A successful appeal could create an unwanted delay for Usyk, who has already been linked with several major heavyweight fights. Verhoeven’s performance and the bounce back to the strike could also give a rematch more commercial value than many expected heading into Saturday night.
