The WBC has followed through on its promise to reward Rico Verhoeven for his performance against Oleksandr Usyk, placing the Dutch kickboxing star at No. 8 in its latest heavyweight rankings despite his 11th-round stoppage loss on May 23.
Verhoeven entered the Usyk fight with a 1-0 professional boxing record and was viewed by many as a heavy underdog against the unified heavyweight champion. Instead, he pushed Usyk through one of the toughest nights of his recent career before being stopped late in the contest.
Following the fight, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said Verhoeven would receive a high ranking due to his showing against Usyk. The latest rankings released by the sanctioning body have now confirmed that decision.
Verhoeven is ranked behind Tyson Fury, Lawrence Okolie, Moses Itauma, Filip Hrgovic, Anthony Joshua, Frank Sanchez, and Deontay Wilder. He is positioned ahead of Efe Ajagba, Richard Riakporhe, Martin Bakole, Bakhodir Jalolov, Otto Wallin, Richard Torrez Jr., and Michael Hunter.
The ranking comes despite Verhoeven having only two professional boxing matches on his record. His only victory came in 2014 before returning to the sport this year for the bout with Usyk in Egypt.
The WBC’s decision is likely to generate debate, given the number of established heavyweight contenders ranked below him. At the same time, it confirms that the sanctioning body viewed Verhoeven’s performance against Usyk as worthy of immediate top-10 status.
Usyk’s next move remains unchanged. The WBC has ordered negotiations for a mandatory defense against interim champion Agit Kabayel, with the two sides given 30 days to reach an agreement.
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Last Updated on 2026/06/03 at 11:10 AM
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