Oleksandr Usyk kept his heavyweight titles in Egypt, but his place near the top of the pound-for-pound rankings did not survive the Rico Verhoeven fight intact.
Usyk was already on his way down most pound-for-pound lists due to his decision to face a kickboxer rather than a leading heavyweight contender.
Despite DAZN’s insistence during the broadcast that Usyk remained number one, even their own rankings had Naoya Inoue sitting above the Ukrainian before a punch was thrown beneath the Pyramids.
That alone suggested Usyk was never going to cling to his long-held number two position regardless of the outcome.
The only real question was how far he would fall.
Usyk vs Verhoeven
As detailed throughout WBN’s live round-by-round coverage, the performance itself only accelerated the slide.
Usyk struggled for long stretches against Rico Verhoeven, a GLORY kickboxing legend competing in only his second professional boxing contest.
Instead of controlling the fight with the kind of dominance expected from one of boxing’s elite pound-for-pound stars, Usyk looked uncomfortable, frustrated and at times genuinely vulnerable against Verhoeven’s awkward movement and strange timing.
Even when the champion finally found success late and forced the dramatic stoppage, the wider damage to his aura had already been done.
Usyk Pound-for-Pound Drop
After struggling for ten rounds against Verhoeven, WBN decided on number six for Usyk, just above Devin Haney.
Naoya Inoue now remains firmly at number one, while Shakur Stevenson, Jesse Rodriguez, Dmitry Bivol and David Benavidez all move ahead of the heavyweight champion following the poorest performance of Usyk’s career.
That leaves Usyk sitting just outside the sport’s true elite tier for now despite clinging to his status in the top division.
However, this is not about stripping Usyk of his achievements. It’s about recognizing the decisions made and the performance rendered.
The Ukrainian remains undefeated, still holds the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles, and owns victories over Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois among others.
However, pound-for-pound rankings are supposed to reflect current form and dominance relative to expectation.
A heavyweight champion widely regarded as one of the best fighters in the world should not be losing rounds heavily to a crossover opponent making only his second appearance in professional boxing.
There is no escaping that reality regardless of how unusual Verhoeven’s style and boxing pedigree may have been.
Usyk No Longer Untouchable
The irony is that Usyk probably wins a rematch far more comfortably if the pair ever met again.
The intrigue surrounding a second fight has already largely disappeared because Usyk would now prepare specifically for the unorthodox attacks that surprised him in Egypt.
But the first impression can never be erased, as for one night beneath the Pyramids, Oleksandr Usyk no longer looked untouchable.
And for a fighter sitting near the very top of pound-for-pound boxing, that image will be difficult to erase from his legacy.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 15+ years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. Read full bio.
