Dutch combat sports icon Rico Verhoeven has publicly challenged British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua to a future bout following Joshua's latest victory.
Verhoeven took to Instagram on Monday to express his desire to reschedule their previously planned matchup, which fell through due to a car accident in Nigeria that injured Joshua and tragically killed two members of his team.
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Instead of facing Joshua, Verhoeven fought Oleksandr Usyk in late May at the Pyramids of Giza, losing via an eleventh-round technical knockout.
With Usyk approaching retirement and a rematch unlikely, the 37-year-old Dutch fighter is seeking a new opponent in the heavyweight division.
Meanwhile, Joshua made a successful return to the ring last Saturday, recovering from two early knockdowns in the opening round to knock out Albania's Kristian Prenga in the second round.
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Following Joshua's victory, Verhoeven commented directly on the British boxer's social media post: "Very impressive. Get past Fury and I will be waiting for you."
However, an immediate showdown between the two remains unlikely.
Joshua and Tyson Fury have signed contracts for the long-awaited "Battle of Britain" scheduled for later this year, with Fury recently securing a tune-up win against Mariusz Wach.
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Verhoeven aims to face Joshua once the British matchup concludes.
