BoxRec

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 06:10 Despite the stoppage.. early or whatever. From what I’m reading mostly on here and online elsewhere..

Many believe it was likely to be over the next round.. or at least Usyk would have won the decision based on the scorecards heading into the last round.

Coco wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 06:07 Dunno what to think?

Usyk was heavy, lacked foot and head movement, wasn't busy enough either, failed to apply pressure.

Rico, big, strong, awkward and tough, was in great condition, great desire, just outworked the Ukrainian.

I had him ahead big on the cards, Uysk needed a KO, and the British ref helped him.

gilgamesh wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 06:19I think Rico was pretty well done for, but he had earned the right to see that 12th round. It robbed Usyk of a more decisive finish as well. He legit would've stopped Rico controversy free in the 12th I believe, but Rico had fought his ass off up to then and should've had that chance.

forcefraser wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 05:43

handsofstone wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 03:15 What a crock of sh1t, English referee ruining yet another championship fight, I thought he was trying to break them because it was end of the round, didn't even cross my mind he was stopping it, disgraceful, Usyk was terrible, I had Verhoeven up by 2 rounds after 10, Usyk was slow , sluggish, didn't get more active as it wore on like he usually does, the uppercut was the only shot he had any success with, Verhoeven used his size and strength to bully Usyk, chin down, shoulders hunched, walked in and put it on Usyk, landed the right hand time and again and manhandled him, he landed nearly all the notable punches, Copps score was way of but no doubt Verhoeven was winning, Usyk needed something, he had a good 10th then obviously found the right uppercut at end of 11th the dropped Verhoeven and hurt him, he waded in the corner catching him but didn't look like he had enough time but thankfully for him it was a BBBC registered official that gave him a TKO, feel for Verhoeven, id have fancied Usyk in the last but we'll never know, embarrassing tbqh


Also I'm not buying the whole Verhoeven being unpredictable and unorthodox because of his kickboxing style, he was just aggressive and used plenty of feints like all top boxers do, feintings purpose is to be unpredictable, it wasnt as he spoiled to unsettle Usyk and I'm no hearing anything about the shape Usyk was in either, that's on him

Clear racism. It's British refs, not just English refs. I've seen old Victor stop a good few under debatable circumstances

gilgamesh wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 05:50

veriton wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 05:45

gilgamesh wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 05:35 A Fight is a Fight. A great Boxer could hold his own in Kickboxing as well, they just wouldn't bother because there's nowhere near as much money in Kickboxing.

Football and Baseball are 2 entirely different sporting concepts.

A Kickboxing match or a Boxing match have the same goal. Knock the other man out or land more blows than him.

Not sure about that, Riddick Bowe was totally embarrassed when he tried it. It's a whole different skill and a lifetime of learning to take a different type of pain.

I don't recall Bowe ever having a Kickboxing match.

Shannon Briggs beat Tom Erickson in a Kickboxing match, but Erickson was primarily a Grappler.

There have been many Kickboxers who are best known for their punching. Many competitors in the sport only focus on leg kicks or using their legs for defense.

JamesPhilips wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 07:11

gilgamesh wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 05:50

veriton wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 05:45

Not sure about that, Riddick Bowe was totally embarrassed when he tried it. It's a whole different skill and a lifetime of learning to take a different type of pain.

I don't recall Bowe ever having a Kickboxing match.

Shannon Briggs beat Tom Erickson in a Kickboxing match, but Erickson was primarily a Grappler.

There have been many Kickboxers who are best known for their punching. Many competitors in the sport only focus on leg kicks or using their legs for defense.

Bowe had a Thai boxing match against a Russian when he was well past it. He got his legs battered to pieces and got stopped.

TheLeprechaun wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 06:43 Hard to feel sorry for a guy who spat out his gumshield to buy time. That's cheating in my book.

And yes, Diego Corrales cheated in that Castillo fight.

joshj909 wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 05:58

JamesPhilips wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 10:30 Stoppage really awful. Most of Usyk’s shots were missing plus the bell went. Boxing is so depressing sometimes. When I saw Mark Lyson as ref at the beginning of the fight I immediately thought 'oh no'.

Usyk may well have stopped Rico in the 12th but both him and the public should’ve been allowed that possibility.

Unfortunately Verhoeven would’ve been robbed on the cards even if it went the distance. I gave Usyk 2 rounds.

It was a bewilderingly awful performance by Usyk. Almost as bewildering as his excuse that his girl was in a bomb shelter in Ukraine…. Yet wasn’t his wife at the fight? His residence is I believe in Spain.

Usyk I think didn’t train as hard as usual and also age catching up. Verhoeven also had such a strange awkward style it seemed to confuse Usyk who caught some flush shots from Rico.

But it’s embarrassing that a p4p could have so much trouble in a crossover fight. Such a bad look for boxing

forcefraser wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 11:00 Most people calling it a bullshat stoppage.

Let it go to the 12th , no debate at all as far as I'm concerned. Lyson messed up.

I watched the youtube with bitter conspiracy theorist Porky, who thought the stoppage was fine. Almost every other boxing channel thought otherwise

Porky reminds me of Geoff Boycott. A mouth who loves nothing more than the sound of his own voice

joshj909 wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 11:09

JamesPhilips wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 10:30 Stoppage really awful. Most of Usyk’s shots were missing plus the bell went. Boxing is so depressing sometimes. When I saw Mark Lyson as ref at the beginning of the fight I immediately thought 'oh no'.

Usyk may well have stopped Rico in the 12th but both him and the public should’ve been allowed that possibility.

Unfortunately Verhoeven would’ve been robbed on the cards even if it went the distance. I gave Usyk 2 rounds.

It was a bewilderingly awful performance by Usyk. Almost as bewildering as his excuse that his girl was in a bomb shelter in Ukraine…. Yet wasn’t his wife at the fight? His residence is I believe in Spain.

Usyk I think didn’t train as hard as usual and also age catching up. Verhoeven also had such a strange awkward style it seemed to confuse Usyk who caught some flush shots from Rico.

But it’s embarrassing that a p4p could have so much trouble in a crossover fight. Such a bad look for boxing

Which were the two rounds that you gave to Usyk? Were they the coincidentally the same as the two that Copp gave to Usyk?

forcefraser wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 11:00 Most people calling it a bullshat stoppage.

Let it go to the 12th , no debate at all as far as I'm concerned. Lyson messed up.

I watched the youtube with bitter conspiracy theorist Porky, who thought the stoppage was fine. Almost every other boxing channel thought otherwise

Porky reminds me of Geoff Boycott. A mouth who loves nothing more than the sound of his own voice

joshj909 wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 11:09

JamesPhilips wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 10:30 Stoppage really awful. Most of Usyk’s shots were missing plus the bell went. Boxing is so depressing sometimes. When I saw Mark Lyson as ref at the beginning of the fight I immediately thought 'oh no'.

Usyk may well have stopped Rico in the 12th but both him and the public should’ve been allowed that possibility.

Unfortunately Verhoeven would’ve been robbed on the cards even if it went the distance. I gave Usyk 2 rounds.

It was a bewilderingly awful performance by Usyk. Almost as bewildering as his excuse that his girl was in a bomb shelter in Ukraine…. Yet wasn’t his wife at the fight? His residence is I believe in Spain.

Usyk I think didn’t train as hard as usual and also age catching up. Verhoeven also had such a strange awkward style it seemed to confuse Usyk who caught some flush shots from Rico.

But it’s embarrassing that a p4p could have so much trouble in a crossover fight. Such a bad look for boxing

Which were the two rounds that you gave to Usyk? Were they the coincidentally the same as the two that Copp gave to Usyk?

JamesPhilips wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 11:11

joshj909 wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 11:09

JamesPhilips wrote: ↑24 May 2026, 10:30 Stoppage really awful. Most of Usyk’s shots were missing plus the bell went. Boxing is so depressing sometimes. When I saw Mark Lyson as ref at the beginning of the fight I immediately thought 'oh no'.

Usyk may well have stopped Rico in the 12th but both him and the public should’ve been allowed that possibility.

Unfortunately Verhoeven would’ve been robbed on the cards even if it went the distance. I gave Usyk 2 rounds.

It was a bewilderingly awful performance by Usyk. Almost as bewildering as his excuse that his girl was in a bomb shelter in Ukraine…. Yet wasn’t his wife at the fight? His residence is I believe in Spain.

Usyk I think didn’t train as hard as usual and also age catching up. Verhoeven also had such a strange awkward style it seemed to confuse Usyk who caught some flush shots from Rico.

But it’s embarrassing that a p4p could have so much trouble in a crossover fight. Such a bad look for boxing

Which were the two rounds that you gave to Usyk? Were they the coincidentally the same as the two that Copp gave to Usyk?

If you’re insinuating I was being influenced by that talking head you’re wrong. Can’t remember exact round but I was keeping tally. How did you have it?