Oleksandr Usyk narrowly retained his heavyweight world title in a contentious late stoppage victory over Rico Verhoeven. The bout, held in front of the pyramids, was considered a title defense despite Verhoeven’s limited experience in professional boxing. Verhoeven, a kickboxing legend, displayed dominance throughout the match and seemed to be leading on the scorecards until Usyk landed a crucial uppercut in the penultimate round.
Although Verhoeven got back on his feet after the knockdown, the referee controversially ended the fight with just a second left in the round. Replay footage indicated that the referee halted the match after the bell had already rung.
Usyk acknowledged Verhoeven’s skills, stating, “Rico, you are an amazing fighter. It was a tough and competitive fight.” Verhoeven expressed disappointment in the stoppage, mentioning, “It was premature, but that decision was out of my hands. I believe the referee should have let me continue until the end of the round.”
The action in the ring saw Verhoeven making an early impact with a right hand, claiming the initial advantage. However, Usyk gradually found his rhythm, landing significant blows and showcasing his uppercut in the later rounds. Despite Verhoeven’s relentless pressure and body shots, Usyk’s powerful combinations eventually led to Verhoeven hitting the canvas, denying him a chance to fight in the final round.
In other matches, Hamzah Sheeraz secured the WBO super-middleweight world title with a dominant second-round knockout over Alem Begic. Jack Catterall captured a portion of the WBA welterweight world title by outscoring Shakhram Giyasov, setting up a potential clash with ‘super’ champion Rolly Romero. Additionally, rising American heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr suffered a second-round knockout defeat at the hands of Frank Sanchez, who earned a shot at a world title.
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