Peter Fury has spoken to IFLTV following his boxer Rico Verhoeven’s loss to Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the stoppage, with many saying it happened after the bell. Peter shared a plane ride home with referee Mark Lyson and spoke to him face to face. He felt the stoppage was not justified and believed it came after the bell.
Peter Fury on Rico Verhoeven and the Referee’s Decision
Rico had seemingly dominated the rounds and proved an awkward opponent for heavyweight champion Usyk. However, going into the 11th round, Rico was tiring. In another interview, Fury suggested Rico had stopped listening in the corner because of fatigue.
Rico was then caught clean with an uppercut and received a count. Although he recovered, Usyk unloaded more shots before referee Mark Lyson stepped in.
When Usyk attacked, Peter felt none of the shots landed cleanly. Rico had thrown shots back, defended himself, and remained coherent. Therefore, Peter believed the referee should not have stopped the fight.
Peter remains firm in his view that Rico should have been allowed the minute in the corner before coming out for the 12th. Furthermore, he pointed to Rico’s recovery ability, which is widely known from his kickboxing career.
Peter stated he would have taken Rico back to the corner, calmed him down, and sent him back out for the final round. His goal would have been simple — survive and reach the final bell.
Peter Fury on Rico Verhoeven Following the Usyk Fight
Peter theorised the fight could have gone to the judges’ scorecards. Alternatively, Usyk may have finished Rico properly. However, that is something nobody will know because, in Peter’s opinion, the referee made a mistake.
Mark Lyson has said he did not hear the bell. Peter said the referee repeated that explanation during their flight home.
As Rico’s trainer, Peter Fury will want answers about why the contest was stopped. Peter Fury on Rico Verhoeven has become a major talking point since the fight ended on Saturday night.
Recently, Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois sparked similar conversations. Fabio appeared unsteady from round eight onwards, yet officials allowed him to continue.
The reality is referees often spot things viewers do not see. It is easy to look back and argue Rico could have reached the corner or recovered during the minute break. Nevertheless, Mark Lyson saw something from his position and chose to stop the fight.
That reality will not change, although decisions like this can take time to process. Ultimately, the referee makes the final call.
