Usyk joins Fury and Joshua as latest big name to struggle against a boxing newcomer - Can boxers really gain anything from these fights?

There were many major talking points after Oleksandr Usyk stopped Rico Verhoeven on Saturday night in Egypt. 

It was the result that everybody expected heading into the fight, but nobody could've predicted the way the conclusion was reached after Verhoeven delivered a heroic performance that was only dented by Usyk’s perseverance, questionable officiating, and crazy judging. 

The man who has enjoyed landslide victories over Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Daniel Dubois, twice against all three, looked to have no answer for Verhoeven’s aggressive approach that was built around a tight defence, pressing style, and an ability to let his hands go whenever he was close. 

Round after round Verhoeven dominated and with just four minutes remaining, those without knowledge of what the judges were watching, they somehow had it a well-contested affair, were certain the sport’s greatest ever shock was about to take place. 

Instead Usyk, like he has done to so many elite boxers, turned the fight in his favour with one big shot. Verhoeven was down and with only seconds remaining in the penultimate round he was stopped by the referee when the safe haven of his corner stool was only a second away.

Angry fight fans 

Of course, fight fans, both hardcore and casual, were appalled at the decision of Mark Lyson to end Verhoeven’s chances. The anger increased when it was revealed two of the scorecards had the fight level despite Verhoeven’s dominance. But even in defeat, the Dutchman’s stock price increased massively, and it’s unknown what is left of Usyk’s incredible career. 

Is it time for boxing’s biggest names, and those enlisted with helping the sport prosper, to ignore these sporting crossover fights as apart from a major financial incentive, does anything good come out of it for the boxers involved? 

Going back to Fury’s fight with Francis Ngannou in 2023, did Fury’s win, a controversial one where he had to climb off the canvas, prepare him for what was about to come in 2024 when he was defeated twice by Usyk? 

Before Ngannou, he was the man who decimated Deontay Wilder on two occasions before handing out vicious beatings to Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora. Usyk may still have beaten that version of Fury due to his own attributes, but seeing Fury look lost and ragged by a boxing debutant must surely have filled the Ukrainian with confidence heading into their two-fight series. 

What about Joshua? His novelty fight came at the end of 2025 when he was in the opposite corner to Jake Paul. A brave campaigner who has made big steps in such a short time, but still nowhere near the level required to take on a former Olympic gold medallist and two-time world champion. 

Experts were discussing how many seconds it would last rather than rounds, but Paul’s insistence on not exchanging with Joshua paid off for almost six rounds before he eventually ran out of steam and was emphatically stopped. 

Kabayel and Itauma watch on

And now it is the time of Usyk. A penny for the thoughts of Agit Kabayel who watched the fight from ringside before demanding his long-awaited title shot in the fight’s aftermath. How will Moses Itauma interpret the fight knowing that he could be the man to end Usyk’s run as world champion and become the next ruler of the heavyweight division? 

Across those three fights featuring the three marquee names of the heavyweight division in the modern era, all have left the ring with their profile severely questioned whilst their newcomer opponents take so much victory from defeat. 

All the fighters involved have left with bloated paycheques, perhaps that’s their biggest motivation, but unless they get these rivals out of the fight within two rounds, it just opens the door for severe criticism, both to boxers and boxing, and that can never be good for the sport when these events usually become drivers for significant global audiences. 

Does it change moving forward? Probably not, as a boxer will always back himself in these contests with the opponent also knowing they have nothing to lose. Usyk vs Verhoeven may make some boxers approach the bouts more carefully, but more and more, these fights are proving to be no-win affairs for the masters of the sweet science from a reputation standpoint, even though their purse may make them ignorant to that matter.