Rico Verhoeven Says Usyk Fight Felt “Fishy” After Open Scoring
Rico Verhoeven is still not satisfied with how his fight against Oleksandr Usyk played out.
After the controversial ending, Verhoeven has now pointed to the open scoring as another reason he felt something was not right during the fight. According to Verhoeven, he believed he was ahead after the first four rounds, but the scorecards showed the fight even.
“After 4 rounds we got the scorecards and we like, ‘Hey, we even,’” Verhoeven said. “I felt like I was at least like 3-1, but okay, we’re even, that’s fine.”
At first, Verhoeven accepted it. But when the scorecards were shown again after eight rounds and the fight was still even, he said things started to feel suspicious.
“Then we get the scorecards again after round 8 and still we were even. I don’t know, this starts to feel like fishy.”
Verhoeven Felt He Was Ahead
Verhoeven’s frustration is easy to understand.
In a high-level fight, especially against a champion like Usyk, every round matters. If a fighter believes he is winning rounds clearly but the scorecards do not reflect that, it can change the entire feeling of the fight.
For Verhoeven, the first score update was surprising but not enough to fully shake him. He thought he was up 3-1, but the judges had it even. That alone could be explained by close rounds or different judging preferences.
But after eight rounds, when the fight was still shown as tied, Verhoeven began to question what was happening.
Open Scoring Created More Drama
Open scoring is supposed to give fighters and corners clarity during a fight. Instead of guessing where they stand, they can adjust their strategy based on the official scorecards.
But in this case, it may have created even more frustration.
Verhoeven believed he was doing enough to pull ahead. Seeing the fight still even after eight rounds may have made him feel like he needed to do more than simply win rounds. That can affect how a fighter approaches the later stages.
If a fighter thinks the judging is not rewarding his work, he may take more risks. In a heavyweight fight, that can be dangerous.
Usyk Still Found a Way to Win
Even with the scoring debate, Usyk still did what champions do. He stayed composed, kept fighting, and found his moment late.
That is why the fight remains complicated to discuss. Verhoeven may have real frustration about the scoring and stoppage, but Usyk still capitalized when the opportunity appeared.
A controversial fight does not automatically erase the winner’s performance. But it does leave fans asking whether the full picture was fair.
The Stoppage Adds to the Controversy
Verhoeven’s comments about the scoring are even more important because the fight already ended under heavy debate.
He previously said he felt the stoppage was early and that he wanted to be allowed to continue. When you combine that with his new comments about the open scoring, it creates a bigger story.
From Verhoeven’s point of view, he was not only stopped too soon. He also believes the scorecards may not have reflected how the fight was actually going.
That is why this controversy has not gone away.
Related Post:
Usyk Retains Title in Controversial Late TKO Over Verhoeven at Pyramids
Fans Will Keep Debating This Fight
Some fans will agree with Verhoeven and say he was not getting enough credit. Others will argue that close rounds can look different from ringside and that judges may have seen Usyk’s cleaner work.
That is the problem with close fights. Two people can watch the same rounds and see different winners.
But when a fighter hears the scores during the fight and still feels they do not match the action, it creates doubt.
Verhoeven’s “fishy” comment will only keep that debate alive.
Final Thoughts
Rico Verhoeven believes the open scoring in his fight with Oleksandr Usyk raised serious questions.
He felt he was ahead after four rounds, accepted the tied score at first, but became suspicious when the fight was still even after eight rounds. Combined with the controversial stoppage, his frustration is understandable.
Usyk remains the winner, but Verhoeven’s comments show that the story is far from over.
For many fans, this fight will be remembered not only for the result, but for the questions surrounding the scoring, the stoppage, and whether Verhoeven truly got a fair chance to finish the fight on his terms.
