Oleksandr Usyk's victory over Rico Verhoeven on Saturday night in Giza, Egypt, was far closer than many anticipated, with the underdog coming within a whisker of pulling off a massive upset. The Dutch kickboxing star, who had only one professional boxing match before facing the unbeaten Ukrainian for the WBC heavyweight title, was a 12/1 underdog. Yet, for much of the contest, Verhoeven outboxed the champion, only for Usyk to rally late and secure a stoppage in the 11th round.
Verhoeven's Strong Performance
Verhoeven, 37, surprised the boxing world by taking the fight to Usyk. After 10 rounds, two judges had the fight level at 95-95, while the third scored it 96-94 in favor of Verhoeven. The Dutchman landed 113 punches, including 93 power punches, compared to Usyk's 112 and 89, respectively. Despite being knocked down late in the 11th round, Verhoeven got to his feet and protested the stoppage, which came after the bell had rung to end the round.
Controversial Stoppage
Referee Mark Lyson stepped in to halt the contest as Usyk continued to land heavy blows. Verhoeven, still lucid, immediately questioned the decision. 'Of course I thought it was an early stoppage, but in the end, it's not up to me,' he said. 'Still, I found it a little bit early. I believe that the referee knows that we're almost at the end of the round. Let me go out on my shield or let the bell go.'
Had the fight continued, Usyk would have won the 11th round 10-8, putting him ahead on two scorecards and level on the third heading into the final round. This would have given Usyk a narrow victory, but many argue it does not reflect Verhoeven's dominance earlier in the fight.
Appeal and Rematch Calls
Verhoeven's camp is considering an appeal. 'We might just go and appeal it because this doesn't make any sense,' Verhoeven said backstage. 'The bell goes and stop the fight? Why? Right away when the referee came in I wasn't dazzled, I was looking at the referee and like, 'why are you stopping it? We're almost there!' Looking back at it, even the bell went and that's something he should be aware of. Mistakes can be made, but looking back at it, the referee should admit his mistake.'
While there are calls for a rematch, Usyk's next opponent appears to be Agit Kabayal, who stepped into the ring to face off with him after the fight. The boxing world will be watching closely to see how this controversial ending unfolds.
