Bellew believes Verhoeven earned another shot at Usyk despite Kabayel’s mandatory position with the WBC
Tony Bellew believes Rico Verhoeven should receive a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk before Agit Kabayel gets his WBC title shot. The former cruiserweight champion says Verhoeven pushed Usyk harder than anyone expected and has earned another opportunity.
“I know that Agit Kabayel is very deserving and he has waited patiently, I get it, but I am sorry, this guy has just been pushed the closest that he has ever been pushed,” Bellew said to Fight Lens.
“If I am being totally honest, I believe that Rico Verhoeven deserves a rematch. I just don’t think that he can get away from that.”
Usyk retained his WBC, WBA, and IBF heavyweight titles via an 11th-round stoppage, though the ending created debate after Verhoeven had performed beyond most expectations in just his second professional boxing bout.
“I wouldn’t blame him for not wanting the rematch,” Bellew said. “I’m not going to say that he is getting old, because that is a disservice to Rico Verhoeven and Peter Fury and the work that they have put in.”
“From the outside looking in, I seen him Saturday morning, I gave him a hug and just thought, ‘ooh, you are solid, like you are heavy and you are a proper heavyweight, you are a lump’.”
“Does that play a factor? Well, it definitely played a factor on his work rate because he wasn’t throwing as much. Does the temperature, the setting and surrounding play a part? I don’t know. There is so many factors, only he knows. He is the champion and he is the man who is in control.”
Despite Bellew’s opinion, Kabayel remains the WBC’s mandatory challenger and is in line to receive the next opportunity at Usyk’s title. Verhoeven, meanwhile, has stated that he intends to continue boxing even if a rematch with the Ukrainian does not materialize.
