Usyk laboured against an inexperienced opponent
Oleksandr Usyk came through a taxing contest to beat a gritty Rico Verhoeven and retain his heavyweight world titles.
Usyk, 39, was pushed throughout by Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, but ultimately prevailed with one second remaining in the 11th round.
The Ukrainian had it all to lose against an opponent who had competed only once as a boxer, although he boasted a formidable kickboxing record.
Usyk extended his undefeated record to 25 wins. He consistently said in the build-up that he intended to fight twice more before considering retiring.
With no shortage of challengers queuing up for a shot at one of Usyk’s three belts - the WBA ‘super’, WBC and IBF – there is a raft of potential contenders, including the Brits Daniel Dubois, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Fabian Wardley.
09 Aug, 2023
14 May, 2026
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