Oleksandr Usyk wins by 11th-round stoppage against Arum Promotions titleholder

Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk Retains Titles After 11-Round Fight Against Rico Verhoeven

Egypt - Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk successfully defended his WBC heavyweight title against Dutch former kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in a closely contested fight on Saturday. The bout, held at the pyramids of Egypt, went to 11 rounds before Usyk stopped Verhoeven with a right uppercut in the final seconds of the round.

Verhoeven, who had not fought professionally in over 12 years, proved to be a formidable opponent, taking the fight to Usyk throughout. Despite being outscored by two judges, Verhoeven’s performance earned him praise from Usyk, who described him as an “amazing fighter”.

The fight was considered a mismatch, with many experts expecting Usyk to win by the half-distance. However, Verhoeven’s determination and skill allowed him to stay in the fight until the final moments.

Scorecards published by The Ring magazine showed two judges scoring the fight 95-95, while one judge had Verhoeven ahead 96-94. The referee stopped the fight with just over a minute left in the round, citing Usyk’s victory as the decisive moment.

Usyk extended his record to 25 unbeaten fights and retained all three of his titles. Verhoeven, who was fighting only for the WBC belt, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to compete against Usyk and hinted at a potential rematch.

The fight took place in front of a crowd that included Britain’s former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and Hollywood action star Jason Statham.

Source: Al Jazeera