WBC Ranks Verhoeven #8 Heavyweight After Usyk Fight

Rico Verhoeven, the Dutch kickboxing champion, has been ranked eighth in the World Boxing Council’s heavyweight division following his performance in a title challenge against unified champion Oleksandr Usyk in May. The ranking comes despite Verhoeven having only two professional boxing matches on his record and having lost that contest via an 11th-round stoppage.

The WBC’s decision, promised by its president Mauricio Sulaiman after the fight, places Verhoeven ahead of several established contenders, including Efe Ajagba, Martin Bakole, and Otto Wallin. He is positioned behind Tyson Fury, Lawrence Okolie, Moses Itauma, Filip Hrgovic, Anthony Joshua, Frank Sanchez, and Deontay Wilder. The move is likely to generate debate within the sport, as it grants the 1-1 fighter immediate top-ten status based largely on a single showing.

In the bout held in Egypt, Verhoeven, widely viewed as a heavy underdog, pushed Usyk through what many observers described as one of the Ukrainian champion’s toughest recent fights. Verhoeven employed tight defense and effective footwork, landing dangerous shots before the referee stopped the contest late. The nature of the defeat has led to calls from some...