Undefeated heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk defeated challenger Rico Verhoeven via an 11th-round technical knockout during their WBC title fight at the Pyramids of Giza on Saturday.
The stoppage occurred with only one second remaining in the penultimate round.
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Usyk knocked down Verhoeven with a right hand and unleashed a follow-up barrage of punches once the challenger beat the referee's count.
Verhoeven's Strong Start
Verhoeven, a Dutch former kickboxer whose only prior professional boxing match took place 12 years ago, controlled early parts of the bout.
He landed multiple right hands and rocked Usyk before the late stoppage.
“I thought it was an early stoppage but in the end it's not up to me,” said Verhoeven.
The challenger noted that he wanted the referee to let him finish the match in the final round and indicated he believed the judges' scorecards were closely matched prior to the technical knockout.
“I am super proud of my performance and hopefully, the boxing world embraces me as a boxer,” added Verhoeven.
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He also stated that he appreciated the opportunity to compete in the championship bout and disclosed that the champion had already extended an offer for a future rematch.
Usyk's Emotional Victory
“I know right now, Ukrainian people are sitting in the bomb shelter, my daughter too, in a bomb shelter, sent me a message saying, 'Papa, I love you, you will win',” said Usyk.
The champion acknowledged the difficulty of the contest while expressing gratitude to his opponent, both athletic teams, and his family immediately after the referee waved off the fight.
“Thank you so much, Rico. You are an amazing fighter.
Thank you so much to your team. My team, I love you.
My wife, I love you. You are my light and my heart.
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This fight was hard. It was a good fight,” added Usyk.
