“He’s a star. He’s got charisma to die for,” Simon told talkSPORT Boxing. “Now we know he can fight in boxing. So that makes him box office.”
Jordan admitted he believed Usyk would eventually stop Rico, but he also argued the referee stepped in too early after the Dutch kickboxing star was dropped with an uppercut late in the 11th round.
“I think it was a bad stop,” Jordan said. “If he would have had Usyk in that position, I doubt very much whether they would have stopped the fight.”
Jordan added that the controversy itself could now force boxing to consider a rematch between the two, even with interim WBC heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel and IBF mandatory Frank Sanchez both awaiting title opportunities.
“The nature of the outage was so poor that it created this outcome,” Jordan said.
Rico repeatedly pushed for the rematch during the interview, claiming that he was ahead of the strike. He also insisted that he belongs among the top names in the division after going 11 rounds with Usyk.
When asked if he could beat Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, Verhoeven answered with confidence.
“100%,” Rico said about Fury.
“Of course,” he added when asked about Joshua.
Jordan later admitted he would be surprised if Usyk’s team actually agreed to the rematch due to pressure from contenders who have been waiting longer for title shots. Still, he said Rico became a serious commercial attraction after the performance.
“I’d be surprised if he doesn’t fight someone significant again,” Jordan said. “He’s brilliant.”
