Usyk earns TKO victory over Verhoeven

Oleksandr Usyk stopped Rico Verhoeven in the 11th round to retain his heavyweight titles in what was surprisingly one of the toughest fights of his recent career. 

The referee halted the contest at 2:59 of the round after Usyk dropped Verhoeven and followed with a series of unanswered punches against the ropes, ending a fight that had become much closer than predicted.

Verhoeven looked comfortable from the opening rounds and caused Usyk problems with his size, reach, and shot selection. 

The Dutchman repeatedly landed straight right hands and stiff jabs that disrupted Usyk’s movement and stopped him from finding his rhythm early. 

Rather than taking charge immediately, Usyk spent several rounds backing up and trying to reset after exchanges.

The kickboxing champion also showed far more composure than many expected in his first major boxing test. 

He stayed disciplined with his positioning, avoided overcommitting, and consistently forced Usyk to work at a higher pace than normal. By the middle rounds, Verhoeven had built a real case on the scorecards. 

Two judges had the fight level at 95-95, while the third scored it 96-94 in favour of Verhoeven before the stoppage arrived.

Usyk gradually improved during the later rounds as he started landing cleaner counters and finding openings through the guard. 

The decisive moment finally came near the end of round 11 when Usyk connected with a sharp left uppercut that sent Verhoeven to the canvas. 

Verhoeven beat the count, but Usyk immediately closed the distance and unloaded several clean punches along the ropes. 

Referee Mark Lyson stepped in with only one second remaining in the round.

The stoppage has been deemed controversial because Verhoeven was still on his feet when the referee intervened. 

Even so, the knockdown and the final exchange gave Usyk the strongest stretch of the entire fight after spending long periods under pressure from the challenger.

The victory moves Usyk to 25-0 with 16 knockouts and keeps him unbeaten at the top of the heavyweight division. 

Verhoeven, now 1-1 in professional boxing, leaves the fight with his reputation improved after pushing one of boxing’s leading heavyweights into a difficult and competitive contest.