Trending Now - Usyk Secures Tense 11th-round Victory Over Verhoeven, Faces Rematch Calls

WHO:

Al Jazeera - Oleksandr Usyk, Rico Verhoeven, Anthony Joshua, Jason Statham

Daily Mail Sports - Oleksandr Usyk, Rico Verhoeven

WHAT:

Al Jazeera - Usyk's victory was described as a controversial stoppage, with Verhoeven stating, “I thought it was an early stoppage, but in the end, it’s not up to me.”

ESPN - Usyk's performance raised questions about whether it was a sign of age catching up with him or simply the challenge of facing a nontraditional opponent.

Daily Mail Sports - Verhoeven was competing in just his second professional boxing match.

Al Jazeera - Scorecards published by The Ring magazine showed two judges had the fight tied 95-95 going into the 11th round, while the third judge had Verhoeven ahead 96-94.

Al Jazeera - Usyk stated, “This fight was hard. It was a good fight. I was just boxing, my right uppercut, bang. Bang, bang, bang. Thank you, God.”

Al Jazeera - Verhoeven expressed, “I thought it was an early stoppage, but in the end, it’s not up to me,” while also stating, “I was already super thankful for the opportunity as well.”

Al Jazeera - The fight was referred to as "Glory in Giza."

Al Jazeera - Usyk's victory was described as avoiding one of the greatest boxing upsets in history, with Verhoeven's potential win compared to Mike Tyson's 1990 defeat by James "Buster" Douglas.

Al Jazeera - The fight was noted to be a significant challenge for Usyk, who appeared lethargic at times and struggled against Verhoeven's size and unorthodox style.

ESPN - Usyk's performance raised questions about whether it was a sign of age catching up with him or simply the challenge of facing a nontraditional opponent.

Al Jazeera - Usyk's victory was described as a controversial stoppage, with Verhoeven stating, “I thought it was an early stoppage, but in the end, it’s not up to me.”

ESPN - Usyk's performance raised questions about whether it was a sign of age catching up with him or simply the challenge of facing a nontraditional opponent.

Daily Mail Sports - Verhoeven was competing in just his second professional boxing match.

Al Jazeera - Usyk's victory was described as avoiding one of the greatest boxing upsets of all time.

Al Jazeera - The fight was considered a mismatch, with Verhoeven having only one previous professional boxing match 12 years ago.

Al Jazeera - Usyk struggled for long stretches against Verhoeven, who leveraged his size and unorthodox movement.

ESPN - Usyk needed 32 minutes and 58 seconds to secure his 25th victory.

ESPN - The fight was described as one of Usyk's toughest, with him appearing uncomfortable at times.

ESPN - Verhoeven was noted to have a 2-inch size advantage over Usyk.

Al Jazeera - Scorecards published by The Ring magazine showed two judges had the fight tied 95-95 going into the 11th round, while the third judge had Verhoeven ahead 96-94.

Al Jazeera - Usyk stated, “This fight was hard. It was a good fight. I was just boxing, my right uppercut, bang. Bang, bang, bang. Thank you, God.”

Al Jazeera - Verhoeven expressed, “I thought it was an early stoppage, but in the end, it’s not up to me,” while also stating, “I was already super thankful for the opportunity as well.”

Al Jazeera - Oleksandr Usyk stopped Rico Verhoeven with one second left in the 11th round of a WBC title fight.

Al Jazeera - The fight was stopped at two minutes and 59 seconds of round 11.

Al Jazeera - Usyk retained his WBC, WBA, and IBF titles, extending his record to 25 unbeaten fights.

Daily Mail Sports - Verhoeven was competing in his second professional boxing match.

WHERE:

Al Jazeera - The fight took place at the pyramids of Egypt.

WHEN:

Al Jazeera - The fight was referred to as "Glory in Giza."

WHY:

Al Jazeera - Usyk was at risk of losing his titles, which would have been declared vacant had he been defeated.

HOW:

Al Jazeera - The decisive moment of the fight came when Usyk dropped Verhoeven with a right uppercut just before the end of the round, leading to the referee stopping the fight.

ESPN - The referee Mark Lyson waved off the fight, leading to a stoppage that will be debated for a long while.

Al Jazeera - The decisive moment of the fight came when Usyk dropped Verhoeven with a right uppercut just before the end of the round.

Al Jazeera - Usyk delivered a right uppercut that dropped Verhoeven, leading to the referee stopping the fight just before the end of the round.

Al Jazeera - Usyk delivered a right uppercut that dropped Verhoeven, leading to the referee stopping the fight.

Al Jazeera - Verhoeven expressed that he thought the stoppage was early and requested a rematch.

(UPDATED May 25, 2026 06:20 UTC)

In a highly debated match dubbed "Glory in Giza," Oleksandr Usyk secured a victory over Verhoeven, who was competing in only his second professional boxing bout. The fight ended controversially when Usyk dropped Verhoeven with a right uppercut just before the round concluded, prompting the referee to stop the contest, although two judges had the fight tied at 95-95 going into the 11th round. After the match, Usyk expressed gratitude for the challenge, stating, “This fight was hard. It was a good fight,” while Verhoeven remarked on the stoppage, saying, “I thought it was an early stoppage, but in the end, it’s not up to me.”

(UPDATED May 25, 2026 04:17 UTC)

In a thrilling boxing match, Usyk managed to avoid what could have been one of the greatest upsets in history by defeating Verhoeven, whose potential win was likened to Mike Tyson's shocking loss to Buster Douglas in 1990. Despite his victory, Usyk faced significant challenges, appearing lethargic at times and struggling with Verhoeven's size and unconventional style, raising questions about whether age is catching up with him. The fight turned decisively when Usyk landed a powerful right uppercut that dropped Verhoeven just before the end of the round, prompting the referee to stop the contest.

(UPDATED May 25, 2026 01:35 UTC)

In a highly debated boxing match, Usyk's victory came via a controversial stoppage, with Verhoeven expressing his belief that it was an early call, although he acknowledged it wasn't his decision to make. The fight raised questions about Usyk's performance, prompting discussions about whether it indicated age catching up with him or the challenges of facing a nontraditional opponent. Notably, Verhoeven was competing in just his second professional boxing match when the referee, Mark Lyson, waved off the fight, a decision that is sure to spark ongoing debate.

(UPDATED May 24, 2026 23:15 UTC)

In a closely contested match, Usyk managed to secure his 25th victory after 32 minutes and 58 seconds, avoiding what could have been one of the greatest boxing upsets of all time. Despite being considered a mismatch due to Verhoeven's limited experience, Usyk struggled at times against his opponent's size and unorthodox movement, with Verhoeven holding a 2-inch advantage. The decisive moment came when Usyk landed a right uppercut that dropped Verhoeven just before the end of the round, marking a pivotal point in the fight.

(UPDATED May 24, 2026 13:18 UTC)

In a closely contested match, scorecards from The Ring magazine revealed that two judges had the fight tied at 95-95 going into the 11th round, while the third judge had Verhoeven ahead at 96-94. Usyk reflected on the fight, saying, “This fight was hard. It was a good fight. I was just boxing, my right uppercut, bang. Bang, bang, bang. Thank you, God,” while Verhoeven noted he felt the stoppage was early but remained grateful for the opportunity. Ultimately, Usyk's powerful right uppercut dropped Verhoeven, prompting the referee to stop the fight just before the end of the round.

(UPDATED May 24, 2026 11:17 UTC)

In a dramatic showdown dubbed "Glory in Giza," Oleksandr Usyk stopped Rico Verhoeven with just one second remaining in the 11th round of their WBC title fight, which took place at the pyramids of Egypt. With this victory, Usyk retained his WBC, WBA, and IBF titles, extending his impressive record to 25 unbeaten fights, while Verhoeven was competing in only his second professional boxing match. Following the fight, Verhoeven expressed his belief that the stoppage was premature and has requested a rematch.