When speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT just days after his stunning, competitive performance against boxing‘s pound-for-pound staple, Oleksandr Usyk, the kickboxing icon, Rico Verhoeven, made one thing clear — he’s not letting the controversial result on Saturday, the 23rd of May derail his plans for the sport.Rico made his intentions clear. He wants to continue boxing providing he is presented with big names, and big fights, only.It is, arguably, what he deserves considering how many in boxing underestimated his abilities heading into the Riyadh Season event at the Pyramids of Giza, earlier this month. Though the judges saw a close bout on paper, in truth, Verhoeven would be forgiven for feeling hard done by as the Dutchman appeared to perform better than more established heavyweight boxers Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, or Daniel Dubois had done in their six combined challenges of the champion. The sport’s financier, Turki Alalshikh, even said he had Verhoeven “four rounds” ahead at the time of the 11th round stoppage.

Rico Verhoeven Shares Oleksandr Usyk Rematch Update

Verhoeven confirmed that there is no rematch clause that mandates a second fight between himself and Usyk, but is hopeful of another crack at the champion, if not an equally significant showdown with other fighters in the sport.

“I’m here to stay in boxing, so let’s keep this going as long as we still can,” Verhoeven declared, when asked whether he’d return to kickboxing, or remain in the ‘sweet science’ despite a somewhat unfair record of one win against one loss.”I’m open,” he added, “[but] only for the big fights.”Considering Alalshikh’s interest in a rematch, it is, perhaps, a reasonable fight to consider next for Verhoeven providing Usyk does not, instead, take on the rising contender, Agit Kabayel. Usyk, post-fight, even responded positively to Kabayel’s claim to be next, saying: “Let’s do it; no problem. I’m ready.”

Alalshikh has the power to nix Kabayel next should he consider Usyk vs Verhoeven to be unfinished business. And, for Verhoeven, it “would be huge” to have hometown advantage in the Netherlands.

“A Good Fight” – Rico Verhoeven Open to Clash With Former World Champion

A do-over with Usyk is not the only thing Verhoeven has in mind, though. Providing the opponent is a big name, he told us he’s all-in. However, there is one bout that Rico admitted sounded “good”.

A fight with Tyson Fury presents its own problems because of Verhoeven’s relationship with Peter Fury, together with the fact that he’s been a reliable training partner for Tyson, too. “I don’t think so,” Verhoeven said, of that possible match-up, with Fury returning to the sport with a decision win over Arslanbek Makhmudov, earlier this year.

That leaves Anthony Joshua, whom Verhoeven was linked with before AJ’s tragic car accident. Verhoeven said Joshua has two fights already planned in 2026 — the first, against Kristian Prenga in July, ahead of his showdown later this year against Fury.

How about a scrap with Deontay Wilder in the United States? “That would be a good fight,” Verhoeven told us.

“These are big names,” Verhoeven said, looking at all the options. “They are the top dogs in boxing, and so I’m ready for every single one of them.”One thing is clear. He has no intention of crossing over into mixed martial arts, in the UFC, or atop a Most Valuable Promotions event on Netflix, against Francis Ngannou in MMA. “I want to stay in boxing,” he said. “But we’ll see what comes up.”

He continued:“There are so many different players in the fight game right now, and so many requests coming our way these last few days. We will just slowly review every one [of them].”

One thing is clear — Verhoeven wants his “second fight [to take place] this year.”

Newcastle United have opened talks to sign Real Betis winger Abde Ezzalzouli as a replacement for Anthony Gordon, according to TEAMtalk.

The Magpies have struck an agreement with La Liga giants Barcelona to allow Gordon to depart in a deal worth £70m, with the winger set to earn a whopping £300,000-a-week at the Camp Nou.

Eddie Howe is need keen to add reinforcements to the squad with the deal all but done, and the club have made their move to bring in a top target as his immediate and direct replacement.

Newcastle Open Talks to Sign Abde Ezzalzouli

Ezzalzouli, who has been described as a superstar, enjoyed a sensational campaign for Betis this season with 14 goals and nine assists in all competitions, as the team claimed a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League.

But the 24-year-old’s performances have attracted the attention of several clubs, including Newcastle, and now the Toon have made their move by opening talks over a mega-money deal to take him to St James’ Park.

Newcastle scouts had been keeping a close eye on the Moroccan even before Gordon’s move to Barcelona was agreed, and they have now accelerated that interest as he is viewed as the perfect replacement.

Ezzalzouli’s camp have been very open to a move to the Premier League and Newcastle, with the player attracted to their long-term project and the prospect of playing in England’s top flight.

Betis are expecting the winger to move on this summer and are currently pointing to his €60m (£52m) release clause. However, it’s understood that they would be willing to negotiate a slightly lower fee if clubs came forward with serious offers.

Newcastle Must Be Quick and Aggressive in the Market

Last year Newcastle were looking to go big in the transfer market, but they pondered too much and then suffered when other clubs stepped in for their top targets and best player, in Alexander Isak.

This summer, they simply cannot afford to make the same mistake again, and after agreeing to let Gordon leave early in the window, they have positioned themselves well to have time to find a replacement and ease the transition.

However, now they must get the deals done quickly too to help the new players settle in and give Howe time to work with his new squad. This is a deal which looks to be on the table to get done, and the club cannot afford to ponder again considering how much interest and competition there is in his signature.

After confirming a return to the Champions League next season, along with the appointment of Michael Carrick, work now begins for Manchester United to improve the playing squad at the manager’s disposal.

The Red Devils were much-improved over the course of the past campaign, but there are concerns over the lack of squad depth for a longer season ahead, having played the fewest possible matches for 2025/26.

That is expected to jump up a notch, and with it is a need to improve the options available at Man United, with plenty of targets emerging in the transfer market.

Midfielders remain a priority, with Ederson set to join United in the coming weeks, but there is also a look into the forward department as well.

William Gomes Emerges As Man United Target

One of the targets out wide is FC Porto youngster William Gomes, as Spanish outlet AS reports that Manchester United have made enquiries about his availability.

The Red Devils aren’t alone in admiring the 20-year-old Brazilian, with a number of clubs including Atletico Madrid and AS Roma in their interest.

Gomes, who largely features on the right flank, has a release clause worth €80 million (£69.3 million) in his deal, but that would appear somewhat expensive for the early stages of his career.

That said, the admiration is there for his potential, with the report claiming he is being compared to Luis Diaz at Porto, underlining the quality he has.

Diaz left Porto to impress at Liverpool, and has taken that up another notch at Bayern Munich. A similar path could be ahead for Gomes.

The youngster made 46 appearances for Porto this campaign, scoring 13 goals and assisting twice, adding end product to his ability with the ball.

As it stands, the Portuguese club seemingly want to resist a sale for another year, but it remains to be seen whether a concrete offer could tempt them into a deal.

Man United’s Squad Balancing Act

Now that Manchester United have seemingly reset and got the squad where they need it to be to gain Champions League qualification, the challenge is to build on it and not move backwards.

That means a balancing act for those at the top between talent capable of challenging in the here and now, and players who can grow and become top stars in their own right.

In Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, there are two forwards at the peak of their powers, while Benjamin Sesko is stepping in the right direction to join them.

Adding players who can contribute while offering longevity is the challenge, and Man United can’t fall in the trap of landing players with no value beyond a short-term contract.

However, they can’t go too far the other way and only land potential. It’s all a balancing act, one that means for every promising player like Gomes, there must be someone who can contribute to the upcoming challenge.

Exactly how they navigate that in the market, is down to Jason Wilcox and his team.