WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman says the sanctioning body will approve a rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven after last Saturday’s dramatic heavyweight fight in Giza, Egypt.
Sulaiman also said Rico will be ranked by the WBC and believes the Dutch heavyweight has earned another title shot after pounding Usyk before being stopped in the 11th round.
“Absolutely. Yes,” Sulaiman told Pro Boxing Fans YouTube channel when asked if the WBC would sanction a rematch between Usyk and Rico. “But Kabayel is a mandatory competitor.”
Sulaiman added that Rico’s performance changed the perception around him after criticism about the WBC sanctioning the crossover fight.
“I believe the real thing is that Rico is going to be ranked by the WBC for sure, and he deserves to fight for the world title again,” said Sulaiman.
When asked where Rico could end up in the rankings, Sulaiman hinted that Verhoeven could enter near the top.
“I don’t know. That’s a matter for the ratings committee, but I would say top, top, top.”
Sulaiman also defended the WBC for sanctioning the fight in the first place, saying the organization faced criticism before Usyk’s win.
“We received a lot of criticism, and now we won’t hear anything,” said Sulaiman. “The result was this.”
The WBC president confirmed that Agit Kabayel remains the mandatory challenger for Usyk, despite growing interest in a rematch with Rico after the rivalry fight at the Pyramids of Giza.
Click here to subscribe to our FREE newsletter
Related Boxing News:
Last updated on 2026/05/26 at 16:47
