Home / Sports / Usyk Survives Scare, Stops Verhoeven Near Pyramids
Usyk Survives Scare, Stops Verhoeven Near Pyramids
24 May
Summary
- Oleksandr Usyk retained his heavyweight titles via an 11th-round stoppage against Rico Verhoeven.
- Rico Verhoeven, a Dutch kickboxer, challenged the undefeated champion significantly.
- On the undercard, Richard Torrez Jr. suffered his first professional loss.
Oleksandr Usyk successfully defended his heavyweight titles, including the WBC, WBA, and IBF belts, by stopping challenger Rico Verhoeven in the 11th round. The bout, held with the iconic Pyramids of Giza as a backdrop, saw Verhoeven, a Dutch kickboxer, push the undefeated Ukrainian champion to his limits in a competitive fight.
Verhoeven, participating in only his second professional boxing match, expressed disappointment with the referee's stoppage but acknowledged the outcome. Usyk's professional record now stands at 25-0.
On the undercard, Cuban boxer Frank Sanchez delivered a stunning performance, knocking out U.S. heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr. in the second round. This marked Torrez Jr.'s first professional loss after 14 victories and positioned Sanchez for a potential title fight.
Further underscard action saw Britain's Hamzah Sheeraz claim the vacant WBO super middleweight title with a swift second-round knockout. Japan's Mizuki Hiruta also successfully retained her WBO junior bantamweight title.
