Usyk Survives Major Scare To Stop Verhoeven In 11th-Round Finish

Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk was pushed to the brink before digging deep to defeat former kickboxing king Rico Verhoeven in the 11th round of their blockbuster crossover bout in Egypt.

The Ukrainian retained his world heavyweight titles with a technical knockout victory at the Pyramids of Giza on Saturday night, but not before surviving what many are calling one of the toughest tests of his heavyweight reign. Verhoeven, making just his second professional boxing appearance after dominating the kickboxing world, stunned fans with an inspired display that had him level on two judges’ scorecards and narrowly ahead on the third heading into the championship rounds.

For much of the contest, Verhoeven’s size, aggression and relentless pressure disrupted Usyk’s usual rhythm. The Dutchman repeatedly backed the undefeated champion up and landed enough clean combinations to put real pressure on the pound-for-pound great.

Just when an upset appeared possible, Usyk’s championship pedigree surfaced.

With just seconds remaining in round 11, Usyk unleashed a devastating right uppercut that sent Verhoeven crashing to the canvas. Although the former kickboxing champion rose to his feet, the referee stepped in after a brief follow-up assault from the Ukrainian, waving off the contest at 2:59 of the round — a stoppage that immediately sparked controversy due to how close it came to the bell.

The ending divided opinion across the boxing world, with Verhoeven’s corner and sections of the crowd believing he should have been allowed to continue into the final round.

Despite the debate, the victory extends Usyk’s flawless professional record to 25-0 and preserves his grip on the heavyweight division. Had he lost, major title implications would have followed, with some of his belts expected to be vacated.

Speaking after the fight, Usyk praised his opponent’s courage and admitted he had been tested by Verhoeven’s physicality, while the Dutchman left the ring with his reputation enhanced despite suffering defeat.

The thrilling encounter has already sparked calls for a rematch, with many believing Verhoeven proved he belongs on boxing’s biggest stage after nearly producing one of the sport’s greatest crossover shocks.