Oleksandr Usyk retained his heavyweight world titles on Saturday night after a dramatic and controversial stoppage victory over Dutch kick-boxing star Rico Verhoeven in Egypt.
The bout, staged in the shadow of the Great Pyramid of Giza, saw Usyk defend his WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight belts after stopping Verhoeven with just one second remaining in the 11th round.
Verhoeven, making only his second professional boxing appearance, stunned many observers with a spirited display that troubled the Ukrainian champion for much of the contest. The Dutch fighter’s aggressive style and powerful right hand repeatedly unsettled Usyk, with many ringside observers believing Verhoeven was ahead on the scorecards before the stoppage.
The fight took a dramatic turn late in the 11th round when Usyk landed a powerful uppercut that sent Verhoeven to the canvas. Although the Dutchman beat the count, Usyk quickly followed up with a barrage of punches, prompting the referee to stop the contest despite Verhoeven remaining on his feet.
Speaking after the fight, Verhoeven questioned the timing of the stoppage.
“I thought it was an early stoppage but in the end it’s not up to me,” he told DAZN.
“I wanted the referee to let me go out on my shield or let me go in the 12th. I felt we were pretty even on the scorecards.”
The Dutch fighter, however, expressed pride in his performance and revealed that Usyk had offered him a rematch.
“I am super proud of my performance and hopefully, the boxing world embraces me as a boxer,” he added.
Usyk, who has previously defeated heavyweight stars including Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Daniel Dubois, admitted the fight was one of the toughest of his career.
“This fight was hard. It was a good fight,” Usyk said after the bout.
The Ukrainian champion also dedicated the victory to his family and compatriots amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
“I know right now Ukrainian people are sitting in bomb shelters. My daughter too sent me a message saying, ‘Papa, I love you, you will win,’” he said.
The high-profile contest attracted several boxing legends and champions to ringside, including Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford, Gennady Golovkin, and former heavyweight champions Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr..
Following the fight, Germany’s WBC mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel entered the ring to challenge Usyk for a future title bout.
“I have waited so long for this fight. I am ready and I think Germany is ready for the fight,” Kabayel said.
Usyk responded positively, saying: “Let’s do it, no problem. I am ready, brother.”
