Rico Verhoeven releases statement following loss to Oleksandr Usyk

Rico Verhoeven said the official scorecards reflected how competitive his bout with Oleksandr Usyk was before a controversial 11th-round referee stoppage. In comments to Boxing King Media, Rico Verhoeven emphasized staying focused — "Never get comfortable" — after stunning Oleksandr Usyk early before the champion rallied late. He noted two judges had even scorecards and that he was ahead on a third when the fight was stopped in Round 11. The former kickboxing champion congratulated Usyk and called for a rematch, adding on Instagram that one second remained before the 12th and final round.