Rico Verhoeven officially receives heavyweight boxing world ranking.
Boxing is the theatre of the uncertain, a sport where nothing is for definite. And if there’s one thing guaranteed in this profession, it’s to expect the unexpected.
Even still, there are things that happen now and then that manage to shock us greatly. And even with this mindset, we are not immune to that.
Nobody truly thought that Rico Verhoeven would bother Oleksandr Usyk very much at all. At least outside of Verhoeven himself and his team, those who had the most optimism for him thought he may last a few rounds before ultimately being figured out.
However, the Dutchman very nearly fulfilled the most unbelievable of pre-fight predictions by majorly troubling Usyk and actually gaining a healthy lead on the cards for the majority of observers.
Ultimately, he was stopped in the 11th frame, but the manner in which that occurred did not sit right with many. And following what was supposed to be a guaranteed win before a potential fight with Agit Kabayel, the next plan for Usyk suddenly included a Verhoeven rematch as a legitimate possibility.
Though it appears mandatory obligations with Kabayel will take precedence, Verhoeven’s terrific performance has made sure that a second encounter is very likely to happen.
So taken aback was everyone by Verhoeven’s effort, in fact, that WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman even spoke of including him in his organisation’s rankings.
Well, the former long-reigning kickboxing champion can now indeed boast a world ranking in heavyweight boxing. Only, not with the WBC as was expected.
Rather, the latest set of rankings released by the WBA sees Rico Verhoeven debut in the #15 slot, something not unlike what happened when Francis Ngannou performed far more strongly than was expected against Tyson Fury.
A little over two weeks on from Verhoeven’s remarkable display, he has gained despite suffering an official defeat. The only question that remains regards whether or not he can climb up the ladder he has now gained a grip on the bottom rung of.
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