Eddie Hearn has given his honest breakdown of Oleksandr Usyk’s stoppage victory over Rico Verhoeven.
Verhoeven pushed Usyk all the way to the 11th round, leading many to question the Ukrainian’s preparation. Hearn, however, disagreed.
Last weekend, the two-time undisputed heavyweight world champion returned in what was a historic event put together by Turki Alalshikh and The Ring Magazine in front of the historic Pyramids of Giza.
Usyk faced kickboxing icon Verhoeven in a contest many believed would be plain sailing for the champion, but that was not the case.
The Dutchman delivered a stellar performance and, in many people’s eyes, gave Usyk his toughest test to date.
Hearn spoke to Fight Hub TV and heaped praise on the challenger’s performance.
“You cannot take anything away from Rico, what he did was incredible.
“He was so unorthodox, that is one of the tough things for a boxer, but normally Usyk would adapt to the style and find a way.
“I thought he was behind after 10 rounds. I thought the stoppage was early, I thought the bell went.
“He was unbelievable, so smart against the smartest in Usyk. That was great.”
The controversy surrounding the victory came in the stoppage itself. With Verhoeven ahead on many people’s scorecards, he was dropped with just 10 seconds remaining in the 11th round.
Usyk put together a barrage of attacks and referee Mark Lyson stepped in to stop the contest, despite the final shots appearing to be thrown after the bell had rung.
While Hearn believed Verhoeven was in danger and may well have been stopped in the final round, he felt the referee’s decision was incorrect.
“I do think he’d have probably stopped him in the 12th, but we were robbed of finding out and Rico deserved to see what he could do in the 12th.”
Many questioned the victor’s preparation and whether he had taken Verhoeven seriously beforehand. Hearn provided an insight into what may have been different during this camp.
“I think Usyk will always take it seriously, but the reality is he’s a guy about legacy and this was a money fight.
“It wasn’t a fight that he called for, it was a fight that was presented to him and they went, ‘Yeah, we’ll take it.’
“The others have been about legacy, about becoming a two-time, three-time undisputed world champion.”
With Usyk coming out victorious, his next step remains unknown, but the promoter outlined what he feels would be the perfect route before the 39-year-old eventually walks away from the sport.
“If I was Usyk, I’d be rematching Rico Verhoeven straight away in Holland and I would probably end my career there.
“I don’t think he needs to fight Kabayel, who is a great fighter, but what does he have to prove?”
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