Usyk avoids shock defeat with 11th-round stoppage of Verhoeven
Summary
Ukraine’s unbeaten heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk won by stopping Dutch fighter Rico Verhoeven near the end of the 11th round in a WBC title fight held in Egypt. The match was tougher than expected, with Verhoeven leading on some judges’ scorecards before Usyk’s final knockout.Key Facts
- Oleksandr Usyk is the undefeated heavyweight world champion from Ukraine.
- Rico Verhoeven, from the Netherlands, is a former kickboxer with only one previous pro boxing fight 12 years ago.
- The fight took place at the pyramids of Egypt, in an open-air arena.
- Two judges had the fight tied, and one had Verhoeven ahead before the 11th round ended.
- Usyk knocked Verhoeven down with one second left in round 11; the referee stopped the fight.
- Usyk kept his WBC, WBA, and IBF heavyweight titles and extended his unbeaten streak to 25 fights.
- Verhoeven said he hoped for a rematch despite the loss.
- Usyk dedicated the win to his family and people in Ukraine, who are affected by ongoing bombings.
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