The Ukrainian struggled to victory over Rico Verhoeven in their heavyweight showdown last weekend, and some of urged Usyk to hang up the gloves14:03, 28 May 2026Oleksandr Usyk has got nothing left to prove and has earned the right to choose what he does next.‌That is according to the Ukrainian's sporting director, Sergey Lapin. Usyk returned to the ring last weekend for the first time in nearly a year against kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven in Egypt. Much to the surprise of many, the 39-year-old struggled throughout the majority of the contest.‌Eventually, Usyk stopped his rival controversially in the 11th round. The Ukrainian was even behind one one of the three judges' scorecards prior to the stoppage - which looked to have taken place after the bell had sounded. Usyk plans to fight at least twice more before calling it a day and will be ordered to defend his titles against Agit Kabayel.‌Some, though, have called for an immediate rematch with Verhoeven. Regardless, Usyk's long-time friend Lapin believes the Ukrainian has earned the right to do as he pleases next. "Who will Usyk fight next? Right now, everything depends on two things: the right offer and the champion’s own desire," he told Betpack.FOLLOW OUR FIGHTING FB PAGE! Latest boxing and MMA news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page"Oleksandr has nothing left to prove. He is now in a position where he chooses what interests him next. Neither outside pressure nor social media discussions will influence his decisions. If the next fight happens, it will be because it is truly a major event."‌Lapin admits the team prepared for a tough fight, and has praised the two stars for putting on an iconic showcase. "Everything was actually quite simple. Nobody ever said this would be an easy night. The final result was a knockout victory," he said. "The goal was to wear down a very strong and unconventional opponent who was constantly creating awkward angles and pressure."Anyone who truly understands boxing knows how difficult it is to deal with an awkward and unorthodox fighter. As for scorecards, commentary, or the broadcast narrative, none of that really matters. The only thing that matters is the final result. Every training camp at this level is difficult, regardless of what sport your opponent comes from."We prepared very seriously because Rico is strong, awkward, and extremely unconventional. Many people underestimated how difficult this type of fight could be. In the end, it turned into a great show. The fans got emotions, tension, and a spectacular knockout."‌Despite the win, Alex Krassyuk, who guided Usyk to become the undisputed world champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight, wants the 39-year-old to retire immediately. "It was the roughest fight of his career," he told Boxing King Media. "I had this prediction for myself; I saw Rico's potential, his energy, how strong mentally he is. he has balls made of stone and that's when I realised it's not about the skills, its about the character. That's when I realised he's capable of the upset, he's capable of a miracle. I felt it was going to be extremely risky for Usyk and that's what happened."Usyk is kissed by the gods, he is the luckiest boxer who ever existed in the sport, but this luck is not just given for nothing; it's given for hard work, for diligent work and for how big his heart is and how much he leaves in his training camp. Usyk did not look fresh. You can get colds, you can get injuries, you can be mentally and physically tired and your weight can go up. But he was at the highest weight I have ever seen him. He's not taking advantage of his footwork in the ring, he's more concentrated on a harder punch when. his feet are loaded in the ground."If I was there to advise him, his next performance would be his family. His family matters, maybe his businesses, that's what he has to take care of now. He has to stop now. It's better to leave one hour before than two minutes after. Unfortunately this is the truth, not just in boxing, but every single thing.Article continues below"You can't earn all the money in the world, you can't beat all the fighters in the world. He needs to take this decision and it's a difficult decision for a man like Usyk, being at the top and being unbeaten. From the bottom of my heart, I wish he would retire in his prime and be remembered as one of the greatest fighters of all time."