Latest News About Usyk Verhoeven Fight Stoppage

Here’s the latest I can share based on recent reporting:

• Oleksandr Usyk defeated Rico Verhoeven by stoppage in the 11th round during their heavyweight bout staged in Giza, Egypt, with the referee stopping the fight at 2:59 of the 11th after Usyk earned a late rally.[1][3][4]
• The stoppage was controversial and sparked immediate protest from Verhoeven and his corner, who argued the bout should have continued, and Verhoeven indicated he might appeal the decision.[3][4][1]
• Scorecards at the stoppage had two judges tied at 95-95 and one judge with Verhoeven ahead 96-94, reflecting a closely contested fight before the final sequence that led to the stoppage.[1][3]
• After the fight, Usyk’s next opponent options floated included a rematch with Verhoeven or a heavyweight clash with Agit Kabayel; Usyk did not commit to a specific next fight in the immediate aftermath.[5][1]

If you’d like, I can pull a few more sources for a broader range of perspectives on the stoppage and potential rematch talks, or summarize the main arguments for and against the stoppage with direct quotes from coaches and analysts.