Usyk retains titles with controversial 11th-round stoppage of Rico Verhoeven

sports athletics

Oleksandr Usyk retained his world heavyweight titles on May 23 in Giza, Egypt, after a WBC title fight against Dutch former kickboxer Rico Verhoeven.

The boxing novice Verhoeven proved to be a tricky competitor, giving the unbeaten champion a huge scare. The former kickboxer pushed Usyk to 11 rounds throughout the contest.

Usyk ultimately secured a victory via a controversial stoppage with one second left in the penultimate round. The 11th-round finish prevented what could have been one of the greatest boxing upsets of all time.

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

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Oleksandr Usyk survives scare from Rico Verhoeven to retain heavyweight titles

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Usyk keeps titles with controversial Verhoeven stoppage

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