Heavyweight champ avoids shock upset with controversial stoppage
Oleksandr Usyk successfully defended his WBC heavyweight title against Rico Verhoeven with an 11th round stoppage. The fight was contentious, as Verhoeven's corner believed he had been saved by the bell before the referee intervened. Usyk's victory keeps his unbeaten record intact at 25 fights.
- ▪Oleksandr Usyk retained his WBC heavyweight championship with an 11th round stoppage of Rico Verhoeven.
- ▪Verhoeven was a significant underdog but posed a real threat during the fight, with some scorecards showing him ahead.
- ▪The referee stopped the fight just before the end of the round, leading to controversy over whether it was an early stoppage.
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Oleksandr Usyk retains WBC heavyweight title with 11th round stoppage of Rico VerhoevenTopic:BoxingSun 24 May 2026 at 10:33amSun 24 May 2026 at 10:33amSun 24 May 2026 at 10:33amOleksandr Usyk (left) has retained the WBC World Heavyweight Championship. (Getty Images: Mohamed Hossam)In short:Oleksandr Usyk has retained his WBC heavyweight championship with a round 11 stoppage of Rico Verhoeven.Verhoeven was a big underdog but threatened one of the biggest upsets in boxing, however the referee stopped the fight despite the Dutchman's corner believing he had been saved by the bell.While the fight was only for Usyk's WBC title, his WBA and IBF belts would have been vacated had he lost.abc.net.au/news/oleksandr-usyk-retains-wbc-heavyweight-title/106715702Link copiedShareShare articleUkraine's…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).