Usyk avoids shock defeat with 11th-round stoppage of Verhoeven
Oleksandr Usyk successfully defended his heavyweight titles by defeating Rico Verhoeven in a dramatic 11th-round stoppage. The fight, held at the pyramids of Giza, saw Usyk pushed to his limits, with judges scoring the bout closely before the decisive moment. Usyk's victory extends his unbeaten record to 25 fights, while Verhoeven expressed gratitude for the opportunity despite the loss.
- ▪Usyk stopped Verhoeven with one second left in the 11th round of their WBC title fight.
- ▪The fight was closely contested, with two judges scoring it tied at 95-95 before the final round.
- ▪Usyk's victory allows him to retain his WBA and IBF titles, extending his unbeaten record to 25 fights.
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Sport|BoxingUsyk avoids shock defeat with 11th-round stoppage of VerhoevenThe world heavyweight champion is pushed by the former Dutch kickboxer to 11 rounds in Egypt.ListenListen (3 mins)SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoUkraine's Oleksandr Usyk celebrates after defeating Rico Verhoeven of the Netherlands during their WBC world heavyweight championship 'Glory in Giza' boxing match at the pyramids of Giza, Egypt [Khaled Desouki/AFP]By ReutersPublished On 24 May 202624 May 2026Ukraine’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…
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