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Usyk avoids shock defeat with 11th-round stoppage of Verhoeven
TL;DR
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Rico Verhoeven with an 11th-round stoppage in a WBC title fight, avoiding a major upset. The fight, held at the pyramids of Egypt, was surprisingly competitive, with judges scoring it tied before the final round.
Key points
- Usyk stopped Verhoeven in the 11th round
- Fight held at the pyramids of Egypt
- Judges had the fight tied before the final round
- Verhoeven performed surprisingly well
- Usyk appeared lethargic at times
Mentioned in this story
Oleksandr UsykRico VerhoevenEgypt
Ukraine’s unbeaten heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk has stopped Dutch former kickboxer Rico Verhoeven with one second left in the penultimate round of a WBC title fight to avoid one of the greatest boxing upsets of all time.
The “Glory in Giza” fight, held at the pyramids of Egypt on Saturday, was considered a mismatch, but Verhoeven, whose sole previous professional boxing fight was 12 years ago, tore up the script in mind-boggling fashion from the opening bell.
It took until the fourth for Usyk to have a round that was clearly his, but the champion was unable to capitalise on it with the bigger and heavier Verhoeven still taking the fight to him.
With Usyk tipping the scales heavier than ever before and looking strangely lethargic at times, the 39-year-old went into the penultimate round needing to pull something out of the bag to be sure of a win most had taken for granted.
Scorecards published by The Ring magazine afterwards showed two of the three judges had the fight tied 95-95 going into the 11th of 12 rounds and the other had Verhoeven ahead 96-94.
The decisive moment came right at the end when Usyk dropped Verhoeven with a right uppercut and the Dutchman beat the 10 count but not the referee, who stepped in to wave off further punishment.
The ring announcer timed the stoppage at two minutes and 59 seconds of round 11.
“I thought it was an early stoppage, but in the end, it’s not up to me,” Verhoeven, 37, told DAZN. “The referee knows that we are almost at the end of the round, so let me go out on my shield or let the bell go.
“But you know, … I was already super thankful for the opportunity as well,” he added while pitching for a rematch.
Q&A
What happened in the Usyk vs. Verhoeven fight?
Oleksandr Usyk stopped Rico Verhoeven in the 11th round of their WBC title fight, preventing a significant upset.
Where was the Usyk vs. Verhoeven fight held?
The fight took place at the pyramids of Egypt, an unusual and iconic venue for boxing.
What were the judges' scores before the 11th round?
Two judges had the fight tied at 95-95, while one judge had Verhoeven ahead at 96-94.
How did Verhoeven perform against Usyk?
Despite being a former kickboxer with limited boxing experience, Verhoeven put up a strong fight, challenging Usyk throughout the match.
