Oleksandr Usyk defends heavyweight crown with controversial Verhoeven stoppage

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleOleksandr Usyk secured a controversial knockout victory against kickboxing icon Rico Verhoeven, retaining his WBC heavyweight title at the Pyramids of Giza. The fight concluded in the 11th round when Usyk dropped Verhoeven with an uppercut, and despite Verhoeven beating the count, the referee waved off the bout as Usyk continued his assault just as the bell sounded. Verhoeven, competing in only his second professional boxing match, had surprisingly dominated much of the fight, appearing to be ahead on points before Usyk's late surge. The stoppage sparked debate, with Verhoeven himself expressing that he felt it was an early intervention, while Usyk dedicated his victory to his family and the people of Ukraine. Despite the controversial win, Usyk maintained his unbeaten record, and discussions immediately turned to a potential rematch with Verhoeven or a mandatory defence against Agit Kabayel. In fullOleksandr Usyk scores controversial, late KO to deny Rico Verhoeven all-time upsetThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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