Usyk retains heavyweight titles in dramatic Giza stoppage

Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk retained his WBC, WBA, and IBF heavyweight titles by stopping Dutch former kickboxer Rico Verhoeven with one second remaining in the 11th round of their bout in Giza, Egypt. The fight, held at the pyramids, saw Verhoeven push the champion to the final rounds, with scorecards showing a tight contest before Usyk secured the victory with a right uppercut.

The event, titled “Glory in Giza,” took place at an open-air arena with the pyramids illuminated in the background. Verhoeven, a 37-year-old former kickboxer, made his sole previous professional boxing appearance 12 years prior. Scorecards from The Ring magazine indicated the fight was extremely close: two judges had it tied at 95-95, while the third had Verhoeven ahead 96-94 entering the 11th round.

Usyk, 39, tipped the scales heavier than ever before and appeared lethargic at times during the contest. Verhoeven was fighting only for the WBC belt; Usyk risked losing his WBA and IBF titles, which would have been declared vacant had he lost. Anthony Joshua and Jason Statham were present in the crowd.

Usyk dedicated the win to his family and people in Ukraine, noting that his daughter sent him a message expressing fear amid ongoing bombings. Verhoeven pitched for a rematch, stating he was thankful for the opportunity.

The potential upset was compared to Mike Tyson’s 1990 defeat by James “Buster” Douglas, which is considered one of the biggest shocks in boxing history. Usyk is the current world heavyweight champion and an unbeaten fighter with a record of 25 fights. He is a 2012 Olympic champion.

The background cards regarding a dinosaur unearthed in Thailand are unrelated to this event and should be disregarded.

The decisive moment came right at the end when Usyk dropped Verhoeven with a right uppercut and the Dutchman beat the 10 count but not the referee, who stepped in to wave off further punishment. The ring announcer timed the stoppage at two minutes and 59 seconds of round 11.

Verhoeven told DAZN he thought it was an early stoppage but acknowledged the referee’s decision given the time remaining in the round. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity and called Usyk an amazing fighter.

Usyk, a consummate professional, had been expected to wrap things up by the half-distance, at least in the estimation of some experts. Others expected an even earlier victory. Verhoeven did his ring walk as a pharaoh, flanked by others holding flaming torches with the pyramids illuminated behind him. Usyk adopted a more gladiatorial look, wearing a golden helmet and the outfit of a Roman centurion as fireworks lit up the night sky.

But the fight was one of his toughest, and he struggled to deal with an awkward opponent who hit hard and showed few signs of crumbling. In the end, the 39-year-old Ukrainian extended his record to 25 unbeaten fights and retained all three titles.