Boxing-Usyk avoids shock with 11th round stoppage of Verhoeven


Reuters | Updated: 24-05-2026 04:55 IST | Created: 24-05-2026 04:55 IST
Boxing-Usyk avoids shock with 11th round stoppage of Verhoeven

Ukraine's ​unbeaten heavyweight ‌world champion ​Oleksandr Usyk stopped Dutch former ‌kickboxer Rico Verhoeven with one second remaining in the penultimate ‌round to avoid what would ‌have been one of the greatest boxing upsets of all time ⁠on ​Saturday.

The ⁠WBC title fight at the Pyramids ⁠of Giza was considered a ​mismatch but Verhoeven, whose sole ⁠previous professional boxing fight was ⁠12 ​years ago, tore up the script in mind-boggling ⁠fashion from the opening bell and ⁠had ⁠looked set to win. (Writing by Alan Baldwin in ‌London, ‌editing by ​Ken Ferris)

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