Rico Verhoeven may not have lost everything in Giza last weekend. Though the fight for unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk‘s WBC and Ring titles ended disastrously and the 11th round stoppage triggered major controversy, the Dutch kickboxing great appears to have earned a few brownie points for a performance that put most pro boxers to shame. Soon after the bout, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman explained how he believes Verhoeven deserves major credit for his courageous outing.

“We took a lot of criticism [for approving the bout], and now we will not hear anything said. The result was it,” Sulaiman told Pro Boxing Fans. “I believe the right thing would be Rico is going to get ranked for sure by the WBC and he deserves to fight again for the world title. It’s a matter of the ratings committee, but I would say top, top, top.”

While it’ll be a welcome surprise to Rico Verhoeven to be a ranked contender on WBC, this does not necessarily guarantee him a rematch with Usyk as he expects. And there’s reason for it. Before the fight itself changed opinions, the Mexico-based sanctioning body had faced heavy scrutiny for sanctioning the bout as a title fight. That scrutiny intensified after the WBC permitted Oleksandr Usyk an exemption for one voluntary title defense, putting his mandatory challenger and interim champion Agit Kabayel on hold.

To set the record straight, the WBC had taken a similar gamble before as well. Three years ago, Sulaiman and his team backed former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in a crossover fight against then-WBC title holder Tyson Fury.

Like Verhoeven, Ngannou entered the Fury fight with almost no professional boxing experience but still dropped the Brit in the third round before losing a controversial split decision.

Impressed with his performance, the WBC placed him at No. 10 in the heavyweight rankings before allowing him to move into another major showdown against Anthony Joshua a few months later.

That precedent could now work in Verhoeven’s favor. If the WBC concludes that Verhoeven belongs in its rankings, it would mark a major boost given that he has openly pushed for a rematch with Usyk. However, the case still remains that Oleksandr Usyk will have to pursue his mandatory title defense against Agit Kabayel next if he wishes to keep his WBC title

Meanwhile, frustrated by the closely contested loss, Rico Verhoeven has launched an aggressive campaign that saw him share a scorecard on Instagram while urging Usyk to “run it back.”

Verhoeven later doubled down in interviews with Ariel Helwani and BBC Sport, even demanding an “apology” for what many felt was a robbery.

With that in mind, the WBC’s move could prove to be a major lift for the the former GLORY champion. Regardless, the path to a rematch is far from straightforward.

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven: Why the rematch faces a brutal reality check

For starters, the WBC had already made its intentions clear by ordering Usyk to defend his title against Kabayel in his next fight.

“Kabayel is a mandatory contender and he’s next for Usyk,” Sulaiman had said.

Complicating matters further is the ultimatum from Kabayel’s promoter, Queensberry boss Frank Warren, who threatened legal action if Usyk stepped back into a rematch with Verhoeven instead of facing his fighter.

At the same time, Usyk himself has spoken about having three fights left before retirement. He’s already completed the first – against Rico Verhoeven. That leaves two more.

So the question remains: would he risk his legacy by entering a rematch with a fighter who pushed him to the limit or opt for a more predictable fight where his chances of winning remain strong and where he could even become an undisputed champion for a record third time before hanging up the gloves?

Even with those complications, Verhoeven’s prospects in boxing remain far from over.

As a ranked contender, he could land a major heavyweight name for his next fight, force his way into the title picture, and remain a dangerous player in a rapidly shifting division.