Oleksandr Usyk narrowly avoids his first professional defeat against Rico Verhoeven
Against the spectacular backdrop of the pyramids of Giza, one of the best boxers in the world was suddenly on the verge of his first professional defeat against kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven.
Oleksandr Usyk left the ring as the winner in the end after the fight was stopped at the last second of the eleventh round. But the Dutch boxing newcomer was largely in control until the controversial stoppage.
Usyk (25-0, 16 knockouts) looked unusually vulnerable at the event in Cairo, Egypt. Verhoeven (1-1, 1 knockout) marched forward cautiously and used his significant reach and size advantages effectively. The Ukrainian hardly found any answers to the Dutchman’s pressure and jab until the ninth round. Even the DAZN commentary team were surprised that Usyk’s usually strong footwork and defensive movements were well below his usual level.
Up until the finish, Verhoeven had won almost every round, while it appeared that Usyk could be facing his first professional defeat. But in the tenth round, the unified heavyweight champion suddenly shifted up a gear. With precise left and right hands to the head, Usyk brought the momentum to his side.
In the eleventh round, Usyk continued his late comeback and sent Verhoeven to the floor with a perfectly timed right uppercut. The Dutchman got back to his feet, but Usyk now smelled an early end. After Verhoeven dropped his mouthguard to gain time, a hectic final phase developed. Just one second before the bell, Usyk landed several clear shots to the head before referee Mark Lyson surprisingly stopped the fight at 2:59 minutes of the round – although both boxers were still exchanging blows.
The scoring of the judges was also remarkable: two judges scored the fight 95-95, while one judge saw Verhoeven ahead. Although Verhoeven was in serious trouble at the time of the stoppage and might have been stopped in the twelfth and final round, the Dutchman had earned the right to fight to the end.