Arabic version: أوسيك يحتفظ بألقاب الوزن الثقيل في فوز مثير للجدل بالتوقف

Ukrainian heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk secured a contentious 11th-round stoppage victory against boxing novice Rico Verhoeven in Egypt. This match marked Usyk’s retention of his world heavyweight titles, but the outcome has drawn significant criticism.

According to BBC News, Verhoeven, participating in only his second professional boxing match, was the clear aggressor for long spells, stunning generational great Usyk in a way nobody expected. Despite appearing to be behind on the judges’ scorecards, Usyk made a late comeback, landing a sharp left uppercut that sent Verhoeven to the canvas.

Although Verhoeven managed to beat the count, a subsequent barrage of punches led the referee to stop the fight, a decision that looked extremely harsh on the challenger. Verhoeven expressed his disappointment with the stoppage, describing it as an “early stoppage” and indicating his desire for a rematch, stating that he believed the fight was pretty even on the scorecards.

Usyk, who has now won 25 professional fights, acknowledged the difficulty of the match, admitting that it was one of the toughest of his career. The fight was expected to showcase the disparity between elite boxing experience and a newcomer’s ambition, yet Usyk’s performance raised questions about his usual dominance in the ring.